The Minstrel's Son
by lokogato-sama
Summary: AU. TakuyaKouji. Kouji and Takuya are caught in the middle of a prophecy, and soon they find their relationship changing from animosity to friendship to something much more. Please RR! CH. SIX UP AN.
1. Chapter One

Whee. Well, anyways. There will be eventual Takouji! Because Takouji is great. *smiles!* Yes. Um. Go read.  
  
lokogato enterprises presents:  
  
The Minstrel's Son  
  
--  
Chapter One  
--  
  
"What are you smilin' at, boy?"  
  
Takuya looked in surprise at his adoptive father. Sharp brown eyes  
were set neatly into a well-proportioned face, not young but not quite  
mature yet. Moments earlier, he had been staring dreamily at the  
horizon.  
  
"Nothing, sir."  
  
"Of course not. Now get to tunin' those lutes, or by Der'noth I'll lob  
you over the head with one." Despite his threatening words, the  
minstrel's eyes crinkled in a smile as he took his traveler's harp  
from his pack and began to pluck and tune it, all the while skillfully  
navigating the large brown horse beneath him. "Steady, you nag! Holy  
Five, the way you ride, I swear I'll be naught but one large bruise by  
the time we reach Astaria*!"  
  
Takuya laughed. "You're always complaining about Firewater, but I've  
seen you drive many a merchant to High Kyo'nis** who tried to buy  
him." Long fingers meanwhile were twisting the pegs of a fine horn  
lute held on the pommel of his saddle, emblazoned with one silver  
eighth-note, denoting his trade. "I'd trade this brutish one for  
Firewater any day." He emphasized his comment with a light kick to the  
side of his own misty gray, who snorted and proceeded to run Takuya's  
head into a low-lying branch. "Ow! You did that on purpose, fiend!"  
  
"As if, liar." The minstrel muttered. "You'd have to be a dolt to  
trade Mist for any horse, let alone Firewater. Firewater may be good  
breed, but he's mere peasant's mettle compared to an Elfsteed, and  
damned if she'll let you or him forget that!" Mist snorted, as if in  
agreement.  
  
Takuya tucked one tuned lute into the saddle-bag and brought out  
another. "Aye, I'd say the pride of those Elves is so strong it even  
runs deep in their beasts – stop fidgeting, can't you, Mist? Tuning is  
delicate work ... What's that?!"  
  
The minstrel stubbornly lowered his head and pointedly stuffed his  
harp into its leather bag, taking a small reed pipe out. "Oh no, boy.  
You've had me far too many times with that immature trick to deceive  
me! Oh no, this one won't be believin' you unless his own two eyes be  
seein' ..." His eyes widened as he too saw what Takuya's finger had  
pointed at. "Boy, look! Holy – Elves!"  
  
Indeed there were. One, then another sleek, supple Elfsteed – always  
discernable by the single silvery white strip down the face from ears  
to nose – soundlessly slipped onto the road ahead to neatly block the  
two travelers' path. Astride the horses, elegant even in worn-out  
clothing and tired faces, were two Elves – one with long blonde hair  
to her mid-back, bright blue eyes and delicate but small pointed ears,  
and the other with reddish hair and brown eyes, clearly of Elf blood  
but also obviously of Human blood as well.  
  
"Halt, travelers," said the blonde, younger-looking one in  
Kumentungue. "To where are you headed?"  
  
"Astaria, Lady," Said the minstrel. Aside, to Takuya, he added, "Do  
you recognize her? Her cadence of speech reminds of those Elves in and  
around Cadnum." Cadnum was the village Takuya had been raised in, by  
the minstrel's rotund and doughty wife.  
  
"For what purpose?" Asked the redhead, as the other gripped her  
mount's sides with her thighs and came closer. "Are you minstrels?"  
  
"Yes. I am Asbard, humbly at your service. This is my irritating  
apprentice, Takuya." The minstrel managed a bow in the saddle to both  
Elves. The younger's eyes widened and she came even closer.  
  
"Do you have your papers?" Said the redhead, but was interrupted by  
Takuya's somewhat nervous laugh.  
  
"Er, I'm afraid my face isn't quite as interesting as I'd like it to  
be, but ... ah ... there's no need to stare." The younger had ridden up  
right next to Takuya and was intently scrutinizing his face. The  
redhead looked mortified.  
  
"Izumi! What in the name of Lord Der'noth are you doing? You can't  
have a Human slave, especially not right now!" Izumi, the blonde,  
looked away. Takuya breathed out in relief.  
  
"Sorayo! I know him!" She said cheerily. Takuya's head jerked back in  
surprise, then he too inspected the girl's face. His eyes widened as a  
smile spread over his face.  
  
"Izumi!" He laughed in relief. "You really threw me for a loop! I  
thought you were some sort of dangerous sentry, all grimy and serious  
like that! I haven't seen you for years, where have you been, Elf-  
girl?" Izumi broadly grinned back at him.  
  
"Unlike you, I haven't been dawdling around learning nothing. I've  
been working as a border guard, more or less." Her tone took on a  
slightly cautious air as she described her occupation, as if there was  
more than it seemed. "Right now I'm employed under a pure-bred, Lord  
Kouji, although he wants us all to just call him Kouji right now, as  
if we could without being strung up by the second-in-command ... Oh,  
Lady, Lord Kouji!" She turned to Sorayo. "I know him and his master  
here, they wouldn't be caught dead making trouble. They're minstrels,  
for Lord's sake!"  
  
Sorayo shook her head sternly. "Izumi, Lord Kouji's strict orders were  
to bring anyone to him unless they had papers specifically approved by  
the proper authorities."  
  
"But-"  
  
"You know what Lieutenant Yamato will do to us if he finds out we  
didn't report travelers to Lord Kouji." Sorayo sighed. "Are you sure  
you didn't hear anything about papers?" She asked of Asbard. The  
minstrel shook his head, looking worried.  
  
"Is somethin' goin' on twixt the realms that's so important as to  
require traveler's papers of minstrels, Lady?" He said humbly. Takuya  
knew better. From the set of the bard's mustache, he could tell he was  
furious. Sorayo glanced at Izumi, who stared stubbornly the other way.  
  
"You could say so, I suppose," Sorayo said shortly. "Let's get going,  
then. The sooner we reach Lord Kouji, the sooner he can issue you  
passes, and the sooner you can be on your way. Believe me, this is no  
less trouble for us than you." Asbard's face darkened another notch.  
  
"Of course, Lady."  
  
~~~~~~ --- ~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC~  
  
OMG, how short a chapter. What shame. Well, the next will be up in  
less than a week, I swear! It's almost done, anyways. n_n  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned it, there would be even more Takouji moments  
throughout the show than there already are. Hell, there wouldn't even  
be other people ... probably just a whole lotta smuttiness. :3  
  
Loko's back, minna!  
  
Heh. Chapter one/Prologue. What a remarkably fast-moving chapter.  
Everything happens like ... 'boom'. It happened. -_-;  
  
No Kouji yet, but soon – very, very soon. I smile because I can't  
leave Kouji out for long ... He's already been mentioned. Asbard is a  
minor character, but he's kind of amusing. He may well be the only one  
in this fic who has an original name. Everyone else (have you  
noticed?) is from various seasons of Digimon. What great fun. :)  
Eh. Let's see ... hurm. Please review! This will be, as already stated,  
Takouji. Other stuff, well, it depends on how many of the other  
characters I can squeeze in, ne? Let me know if you really, really,  
really want to have a certain coupling, any season.  
  
* - Astaria is a major city in the world that I've plunked Kuya-kun  
in. It was initially built by Humans, but Elves took it in a war, and  
since then the major powers in the city have been Elfish, although the  
population is now more Human in proportion. The Humans are somewhat  
restive but they sort of know that Elves are a little better at  
deciding things for the common good. It's a good example of working  
utilitarianism.  
~ added later = waah! I just finished reading a part of +Anima I  
d/led, and I was sooo depressed to find that a place name in that is  
Astaria ... but, I swear! I didn't copy it!  
  
** - Kyo'nis is a long stretch of high plains along the east edge of  
the world, which I still need a name for. (Hey, Reviewers! Hint, hint)  
No one has been known to travel further than that, although it is  
rumored to be a land still fraught with war and darkness. People  
aren't even sure if there are sentient beings there ... High Kyo'nis is  
the easternmost point of the range. The phrase 'drive to high Kyo'nis'  
refers to driving someone to their limits and over, as Kyo'nis sort of  
represents a boundary between civilization and ... not civilization?  
Yeah. Sure. Good explanation, Loko ... Kyo'nis will be an important plot  
point later though!  
  
Lord Der'noth, the Lady, etc. are all parts of the mythology of the  
world (that needs a name, dammit!) and will be explained later ...  
probably in dialogue ... or long paragraphs.  
  
Wow, this A/N is almost as long as the chapter.  
  
Kouichi: How shameful.  
  
Silence! Well, just to keep these readers interested:  
  
THIS IS IMPORTANT!  
  
(VERY) Basic preview of the next chapter~! Well, Kuya goes off and  
meets Kouji, who being an Elf recognizes the Elfish blood in Kuya-kun.  
Thus the disgruntled Asbard and the witless Kuya get detained some  
more as they get carted off to the nearest Elfish stronghold (where  
Asbard gets happy. Because they pay him to entertain them.) Here, Kuya  
and Kouji develop a rivalry for a reason that will be eventually  
disclosed (Translation: plot in progress [PIP]). And begin the fatal  
pull of attraction ... bum bum bum.  
  
PLEASE PLEASE review. I'll cry if you don't. Flames make me happy too.  
It means people felt strongly enough about it to actually say  
something about it. Also, please come up with all sorts of creative,  
innovative names for the 'world'. Ahh, it sounds like I'm talking  
about .hack ... REVIEW!!!!!!  
  
~Lokogato-sama  
  
~~~~~~ --- ~~~~~~~~~ 


	2. Chapter Two

This chapter dedicated to Dragi. For reviewing!

The Minstrel's Son

--

Chapter Two

--

"Whoa, look … there are Elves everywhere!" Takuya whispered. "I've never seen so many in one place, I've always thought they were spread far and few, except in Astaria!"

"Well of course, silly!" Izumi tossed her golden hair, drawing eyes as she laughed. "It _is_ an Elfish border patrol after all. Naturally there'd be Elves here."

"Oh." Takuya blushed, slightly awed at all the elegant figures surrounding them. "Uh … who are we here to see again?"

"Lord Kouji, dummy. He's in command of this patrol." She said, and turned to him as if imparting a great secret. "He's _gorgeous_. And he's so young, too, and he's already practically leading the Astarian government, so he's obviously really smart. Everyone just thinks he's dreamy, and he _is_. Even some of the guys are after him." Izumi giggled and flicked Takuya's nose. "Will _you_, Takuya?"

"Of course not!" Takuya scoffed, uncomfortable, and unsure why the mention of this Elf Lord he'd never met made him feel … odd. "He's probably just a big stuck-up person. Like you, maybe."

She laughed, completely unperturbed by his childish insult. "Silly boy. You'll change your fickle mind when you see him for yourself."

"Oh, I'm sure Takuya will go head over heels. He's never been one to turn down a pretty face. And from the rumors I've heard, and your account, my Lady, I'm sure he is just as you say." Asbard smirked at Takuya, who glared back at him. 

"What are you implying, old man?" He threatened, then cried out in surprise as Mist tossed her head in snorting laughter, or so it seemed, and nearly unseated him. "Mist! You're going to get me killed." At this point Sorayo re-entered the scene, looking hassled.

"We're setting off for Lornin in an hour, Izumi, Lieutenant Yamato's in a foul mood so we have to be ready to move out really, really fast." She said, jumping lightly into the saddle of her bay horse. "I don't know about Lord Kouji, but then he doesn't say much, does he?"

Izumi nodded. "All right. You should go help break camp. I'll take them there." With a quick salute to each other, Sorayo departed, while Izumi waved to Takuya and Asbard to hurry.

"What's the big deal? It should be quick, right?" Takuya asked Asbard quietly.

"It depends on the Lord's mood." He muttered darkly. "And the ones with the pretty faces are always the ones with the strangest tempers."

"Lord Kouji's usually pretty fair in his dealings." Izumi said, backing up her horse and smiling at them. "You'll probably be out of here in no … time …" She trailed off and stared at the sky, with Takuya and Asbard following her gaze. "Oh, Her'lis*. It's going to _storm_." She flicked round, heavy drops off her arm and shrugged. "Well, the faster the better then."

"Where is this Lord Kouji's encampment, Lady?" Asbard inquired.

"Izumi. No need to be so formal." She said absently, glancing up at the now ominously gray sky worriedly. "It's … over there." She pointed at a speck on the horizon. Takuya looked at it, gauged the distance best he could, and swore.

~~~~~~ --- ~~~~~~~~~

"These are the travelers, Lord Kouji."

Takuya looked up at the Elf on his horse, seeming to tower above him. He felt insignificant, which did not help his mood any, considering he was soaked. "Hello?" He asked, hesitantly. Izumi stepped on his foot and glared meaningfully at him while the stuck-up looking blonde Elf standing beside the Lord frowned disapprovingly.

"These are the ones without papers?" He asked. The Lord still said nothing.

"Yes, Lieutenant Yamato." Said Izumi calmly. "They say they are minstrels." Asbard's jaw worked furiously.

"We _are _minstrels!" Takuya said, surprised. "Look at the clothing and the stuff, and all the instruments! What kind of half-witted fool would pretend to be a minstrel? There's way too much to carry." For a moment, he thought he saw the slightest shaking of the Elf Lord's shoulders and heard the softest snickering, but dismissed it as too much sun. Asbard kicked him.

"You say you are minstrels but we have no proof." Lieutenant Yamato, whom Takuya decided to dislike, said sharply. "What can you do to convince us that you are indeed what you claim? After all, many can play and dance well but are far cries from being a minstrel." Asbard fingered his small harp meaningfully. 

"Settle down, please, Yamato." For the first time the Elf astride the horse spoke, and Takuya felt inexplicable shivers run down his spine at the sound of the deep but not yet fully mature voice. "Bring the boy closer, Izumi."

"Yes, my Lord, but why?" She asked, kicking Takuya when he didn't move. Takuya gritted his teeth. It seemed that the two he thought were his friends were rather eager to set their feet in motion tonight.

"I'd like to see his face." The Lord said in a placating tone. "I just sense a strange aura."

"I'm not strange." Takuya muttered, just under his breath, forgetting the acute hearing ability of all Elves. Those in attendance suppressed smirks. "Everyone else is.  I'm just trying to get to Astaria so I can earn some money, but can I? No …"

"That's unfortunate." Remarked Lord – Kouji, Takuya remembered – as he swung down from his mount. By this time he was rather close to the Elf and almost jumped when unbelievably dark blue eyes stared down into his own. "Because I'm afraid I may need to keep you and your guardian a while longer."

"Why?" Takuya blurted out, knowing Asbard was too polite to say anything. "We haven't done anything wrong!"

Lord Kouji looked at him again, looking slightly irritated. "Perhaps, and perhaps not." He said coldly. Takuya instantly decided that he was going to dislike this official too. 

_'Acting all holier-than-thou. I'll bet he's not so great at all.'_

Remembering Izumi's words ("He's _dreamy_."), he tried to catch a glimpse of the face beneath the hood, but only saw a flash of pale skin and soft coral lips. The rain intensified, splattering down heavily, and Kouji turned to Izumi and Yamato.

"You two. Go tell the rest that we're going to move now. Lornin is only about an hour's hard ride from here, so it should be worth it to head there to wait out the storm. Take the old one with you." They nodded and moved off, followed by a surprised and irritated Asbard, who looked back at Takuya briefly before leaving. 

Takuya made to go with them, but was stopped by a hand on his arm. When he turned around, those eerie blue eyes were inches from his and this time he did jump.

"_Der'nath_!" He swore. "You scared me!" Belatedly remembering his manners, he added grudgingly, "My Lord."

"Take off your hat." Lord Kouji said coldly, gesturing towards the minstrel's cap perched on Takuya's brown hair. "Do it."

"Why?" Takuya asked, although he did as ordered. 

"I need to see if my hunch is true." Said the Elf, and calmly removed his own hood. Takuya barely suppressed a gasp. Izumi had been right; the Elf _was _gorgeous. Beautiful, even. Deep blue eyes stared out of a perfectly shaped countenance, with a small straight nose and full mouth. Dark hair rimmed the white face and contrasted startlingly with the paleness of his skin, the long, elegantly pointed ears – trademark of pure Elfin blood – mere light patches in the darkness of the night.

Takuya's breath hitched as the stunning apparition moved closer, and he felt goosebumps rise on his arms. One fine hand reached out, turned his head to the side, and Takuya felt himself blushing.

_'Get a grip on yourself, Takuya! Why are you reacting this way? He's just an annoying, snobbish Elf Lord with too much gold for his own good!'_

Slender fingers drifted across his right ear, and his blush intensified, along with the urgent need to laugh. Unfortunately for Takuya, he had _very_ ticklish ears. The cool touch ghosted up and then touched the tip. Takuya's shoulders shook with suppressed, nearly hysterical giggles, earning him a strange look from the Elf.

_'I'm being tickled by an Elf Lord. Wait'll the guys back home hear of this.'_

"Your ears are Elfish." The voice stated calmly.

"They're what?" Takuya stopped laughing and stared at the figure in front of him, not entirely certain he had heard correctly. Elfish ears? 

"They're Elfish. They're distinctly shaped. Can't you see?" Which was a rather stupid comment, thought Takuya, as he obviously couldn't see his ears. "They're remarkably thin, and the shell-like shape gives it away. Yes, I think I will need to detain you a few days. That man is not your father, the minstrel, no?"

Kulodis accent, noted Takuya, the words slowly sinking into his brain. "Wait!" He suddenly realized. "If you know we're minstrels, then why didn't you let us go?"

"You're not listening, are you, boy?" The condescending tone grated on the young teen's nerves. "I'm telling you now I'm not keeping you for your lack of papers. Dozens of people without papers cross the border daily. I'm delaying you because of _your _Elfish lineage."

"A lot of people have a little Elf in them!" Takuya shouted, confused and angry, completely forgetting both his station and that of the Elf sedately standing before him. "What's so special about me?"

Lord Kouji's impassive expression lowered Takuya's ire somewhat, forcing him to realize that he was behaving childishly. He snapped his mouth shut and contented himself with glaring. Finally, after a long pause, the Elf said, "It is true that many people have Elfish blood. However, those with enough to have physical consequences are carefully kept record of, because then Elfish powers may also be passed on. We are required to make sure that each one is documented. Most of these part-Elves – Izumi for example – carry papers identifying them, but obviously you have none."

"What kind of rule is that?" Takuya asked, forgetting his place yet again. "It's not like part-Elves will suddenly rise up and destroy everything."

"It's an idiotic rule. But we have to follow it anyways." Takuya gaped, unsure as to if he had actually heard 'idiotic' from the stately Lord's mouth. The same mouth formed a smirk, and the young minstrel's mouth dropped some more.

"Come with me. We'll ride soon."

~~~~~~ --- ~~~~~~~~~

"Ah, I'm _soaking_! Not to mention freezing, and-" Takuya was cut off in the middle of his complaint by a violent sneeze. "And I'm sure I've caught my death of cold."

"What are you, a mother hen?" Lord Kouji snapped. "Everyone else is just as wet. I'm wishing now I hadn't ridden with you, but then I have to keep an eye on you." Takuya, suitably chastised, shut his mouth. It was true that the rest of the party was also dripping, and Lord Kouji was no exception, water running in little rivulets down his face, into the collar of his shirt and over the intricate brooch fastening his cloak. Takuya's eyes traitorously followed one particular droplet as it made its way down the pale, slender neck and pooled momentarily in the hollow of the collarbone.

Luckily, Lord Kouji didn't notice his staring. Unluckily, Izumi did. Takuya cringed as he turned to see the blonde snickering into her collar, and her merrily twinkling eyes told him that he'd hear about it later.

Asbard ran towards them, breathing heavily. "Takuya! Where've you been? And look at Mist, you'd better take of her now or she'll be down with cold quicker than _that_!"

Takuya sighed, dismounting. Leaning in close, he muttered, "I was riding with Lord nose-in-air over there. He had to 'keep an eye on me', as if I'd run away first chance I got or something." Asbard raised an eyebrow.

"Wouldn't put it past you, boy. Now take care of that horse!" Takuya sputtered indignantly until Lord Kouji spoke again, this time on the ground and again startling him.

"Master Asbard's idea is sound, boy. That Elfish steed of yours is shivering near much as you." The elegant head inclined slightly towards Asbard. "I believe that you might do well to hurry and prepare your music, minstrel. They here get few enough visitors, and any wandering musician would do well to seize a chance for some profit." Walking off with a satisfied air, he led his own black horse to a waiting groom and headed inside, presumably to dry off and change clothes. Takuya ground his teeth in rage, water flying in random directions as he shook his head much like a dog.

"The nerve!" He groused to Izumi while he rubbed down the gray. "He tells _me_ to go take care of my horse while I'm still soaking wet and then goes off to take a warm bath himself!"

"Which one are you talking about, Asbard or the Lord?" She asked. 

"Asbard! Kou- Lord Kouji! Both!" He snapped, forgetting the honorific in his anger and bringing the brush down with unnecessary force, earning himself a light kick from the horse. Izumi grinned.

"Already pleased enough with the Lord to be calling him by his name, Takuya?" Her tone dripped false honey, a knowing smile spread across her features.

"What do you mean, 'pleased'?" He countered, eyes narrowed. "I can't stand him. I don't understand what you Elves see in him besides a pretty face. I mean, it's not like I think he's pretty, but – I, uh, it's not like he's ugly or something." His ears turned bright red and he quickly turned his head to hide his blush. He caught Mist's bridle, guiding her into the stall.

Izumi laughed. "I knew it! You'll fall for him sooner or later, Takuya, I can tell you now." Takuya shook his head violently and glared as he picked up his bag. 

"Your mind is a dirty, twisted place, Izumi." He informed her.

"Oh, I know." She replied, then abruptly changed gears and asked with genuine interest, "Well, what did you _really_ think of Lord Kouji?"

Takuya blinked at her from where he was locking the stable door. "What did I really think?"

"Yes, silly. What did you think I said?" Izumi twirled a strand of blonde hair around a finger, then dropped down from where she had been sitting on the gate. "What appraisal have you for our young Lord?"

"Well …" Takuya frowned thoughtfully. What _did_ he really think of Lord Kouji? Although he assured himself he had every reason to dislike the haughty Elf, he couldn't deny the intense feeling that contradicted his less-than-friendly attitude towards the other. It hadn't been hatred or anything like it; had he been able to name it he might even have called it fascination. The truth was, he wanted very much to express distaste at the mere mention of 'Lord Kouji', but he felt a powerful pull to find out more about the mysterious Elf. "He's, well, interesting. I don't really know his personality yet, but from what I've seen it seems rather cold. I can't say I _hate _him, but it isn't as if I'm mad for him or something."

Izumi raised an eyebrow. "It certainly sounds like it at this point, Human. Haven't you ever heard that opposites attract?"

Takuya groaned. "I knew you'd bring it back to that."

"What else?"

Searching for a change of subject, Takuya suddenly remembered his sopping wet condition and hastily excused himself to dry off before catching and subsequently dying of pneumonia. Izumi waved cheerily and went off to join her fellow Elfish guard and Takuya heaved a sigh of relief.

"Well, I finally got her off my tail." He muttered, and immediately ran smack into a tall, bespectacled figure. "Oh, I'm sorry!" He looked up to find a bluish-haired young man, looking vexed and more than a little stressed. The sorry condition of the poor fellow drove Takuya's finer instincts to the front and he asked, "Can I help you?"

"Oh, if only you could." The man said, taking off his dripping wet glasses and attempting to clean them on his equally soaked shirt, succeeding only in making them more saturated. "I doubt you'll know anything about this, after I don't remember seeing you in the guard party, and I would remember a minstrel, and oh _dear_, what will I do if I can't find him? The Astarian consulate will probably take off my head! No, they'll take off my legs, then my arms, and feed them to someone while I'm forced to watch and _then_ take my head! What a mess, what a mess! Where could he _be_?"

Takuya's mind slowly translated the last string of words, which had been delivered at what appeared to be hyperspeed, in between gasps for air. "Er, who might you be looking for?" As an afterthought, he added, "I'm Takuya."

"Dear me, pardon my rudeness." The man extended a wet palm and Takuya shook it quickly. "I'm Joe Kidou. You wouldn't happen to have caught Lord Kouji anywhere, have you? I'm his advisor."

"Lord Kouji?" Takuya said, startled.

_'What is it with this guy? Does everyone work for him or what?'_

"Oh, do you know him?" Joe's eyes lit up behind the foggy glasses that kept slipping down his nose. "If you could just point me in his general direction, I'd be indebted forever, truly I would."

"Well, sort of." Taking him to his word, Takuya gestured randomly towards the building he'd seen Lord Kouji disappear into and watched as the lanky man rushed across the courtyard, calling out thanks over his shoulder. He appeared more legs and arms than anything else, and Takuya had to snicker as he imagined a fat Councilor trying to eat one of the flying limbs.

~~~~~~ --- ~~~~~~~~~

Takuya breathed out in pleasure as he sank down, in dry robes, in front of a roaring fire. 

_'At least we've got decent quarters.'_

He had to grudgingly admit that the Elf Lord had spared no expense in accommodating his unwelcome guests and his patrol. The beds were goosefeather and the pillows were unbelievably soft. Just looking at them, in fact, made him want to fall straight asleep …

"Takuya!" Said Takuya was rudely jolted from his half-asleep state by Asbard's enthusiastic, jingling entry. Jingling? Takuya's head turned towards the sound of money, eyes wide. "Look at all I made, boy! All I had to do was sing'em a couple of old legends and my hat was full!" The rich gold coins tumbled out onto the mattress and both minstrel and apprentice-son's eyes gleamed.

"This is amazing, old man!" Takuya breathed, shifting his hands through the loot. "It's real Elfish gold!"

"Exactly!" The 'old man' grabbed up a fistful of coins and grinned. "And that's why we'll stay with them as long as they can stand!"

Takuya stared.

"What?!"

~~~~~~ --- ~~~~~~~~~

TBC~

*Her'lin- eh. Basically Hell in their mythology. I'm a lazy explanatifier today. Kya.

Eeks. Character development! 'Bespectacled figure' is really the only way to describe Joe. Not 'guy with glasses', or 'glasses perched on nose dude', or anything like that. 'Bespectacled' is simply a Joe adjective. I don't know why. It simply fits. Its such a fussy word that it matches him. And yes, I know, he was a little overdone. But I'd be spazzing too if I couldn't find my boss and an angry Consulate had threatened me with imminent death if I couldn't have him within the week.

Well then. That was the second chapter. I know it was miserably short (ten pages in print, six in web), but please bear with me while I work out the plot. The next chapter might take longer – ok, it definitely will take longer, but then again, this one was half-written when I posted the first. Meow! Please review. Please please please!

REVIEW!! 

Also, to my single reviewer:

**Dragi**: Hey, thanks for reviewing! It makes me happy. Like this … :D :D :D. Anyways. I suppose this chapter is dedicated to you then. See, it's good to be the first/only reviewer. I'm not bitter. Never! Well, hope this helps to draw you into the story a bit?

Basic preview of Ch. 3:

Kuya gets papers declaring him an official Half-Elf! Now we can no longer call him a Human. And Half-Elf sucks to type! Oh well. Little to sacrifice for advance of plot, ne? More friction occurs between our bishies. More characters are introduced in true Digimon confusing pot-o-people style. Namely, _randomly_! Huzzas.

So then they head for Astaria. Naturally, Asbard deciding that the Elves pay him real well for singing a coupla legend songs (possible explication?!) will tag along 'under protection' and Kuya, poor soul, is dragged off too. More dealing with Izumi's fangirl-ness and Kouji's stick-up-ass-ness. More huzzaing!

Um … yeah. Huge PIP here. Really. I'm trying to shove Takuya into the Council somehow, but I need a way to figure it out. I may have him temporarily represent Centris (where he comes from) after something happens to the original delegate … yesss ..ss … evil plots underway!!! MWAhahaHAwaHAHA*koff*ha.

~Lokogato-sama


	3. Chapter Three

By popular demand, lokogato enterprises presents the third chapter! … what popular demand … ?

The Minstrel's Son

--

Chapter Three

--

"_This _is all I needed?" Takuya gaped in disbelief at the small certificate held out before him. "We were detained for two days just so I could get a piece of paper proving I'm not all Human?"

"Yes." Lord Kouji growled, obviously not in the best of moods. "_This_. You wouldn't know how much trouble _this _was to get on such short notice. If it weren't for the fact that you're minstrels and very eager to get wherever it is you're going, I would never have had _this_ on such short notice. _This_ still isn't official. It'll just get you past the border guard. You'll still need to go get it officially registered."

"How difficult could it be to get a piece of paper signed?" Takuya retorted. Izumi kicked him, hard and he almost yelped. Lord Kouji eyed him oddly and shook his head. "My Lord." He remembered.

"Don't you realize there's paperwork needed to make a certificate? Just take it and go. We need to leave." He shoved the paper into Takuya's unresisting hand and walked away, only to be interrupted by a certain flustered blue-haired advisor.

"But, my Lord, you need rest first!" He stammered, reaching out and stopping just short of touching the Elf Lord. "You haven't had rest since you arrived last night. All that needed to be done in Lornin is done, and now that I've managed to find you we can afford to take our time!"

Lord Kouji frowned and shook his head. "I'll be fine, Joe. Send word to Yamato that I'll be ready to go by the time they finish lunch."

Takuya blinked. The Elf Lord hadn't slept last night? Work to do in Lornin? Lornin, a well-known Elf resting place, was rarely used for work. The current Lord here, in fact, had nothing that could be called soldiers except a few bodyguards and his young son was well known for riding out unprotected for days. His ears pricked as Izumi told him from the corner of her mouth to not move until dismissed. 

_'How is that Lord Kouji running on no sleep?'_

Joe backed out of the room, a worried expression on his face. "Well, my Lord, as your advisor I advise that you take a quick nap in that hour, or I fear you may fall from your saddle." 

A smile crossed Lord Kouji's mouth and he waved his hand dismissively. "Stop worrying, Joe. It does no good for your health. I've had worse; I'll be fine. You, on the other hand, I believe might be the one to fall from your saddle." Joe started to say something but the brief spate of humor that had flared in the serious Elf Lord's face for a moment was already gone, and he shook his hand imperiously and ushered the company out of his room.

Takuya blinked at the door, then the floor as he started to head, somewhat dazedly, towards what he believed to be the direction of his room. If it weren't for the fact that Izumi and Joe had both reacted to it, he would have thought he'd imagined the Lord's smile, but it had happened.

_'That makes it once, in two days I've known him, that I've seen him really smile. Does this guy have a load on his mind or what?'_

But, he mused to himself as he turned yet another corner, it wasn't altogether unpleasant. Too many he knew threw their smiles around like copper, common and meaningless. This Lord Kouji, on the other hand, gave his out rarely and seemed to let you know, somehow, that it was definitely something rare and precious. Like gold, and as a minstrel Takuya knew the value of gold. 

He'd been walking for the better part of a half-hour when, lost in his thoughts, he ran into someone for the second time in fourteen hours, and stumbled to the ground, holding his head and woozily stammering apologies.

_'Izumi's prophecy is coming true! Takuya, snap out of it! You are _not_ obsessed with that self-satisfied Elf!'_

"Oh, it's _you_." The now-familiar voice rang out in front of him. "What are you doing in this part of the castle?"

He stared at the slight figure, muddy and ripped traveler's cloak swathed around a slender body and deep blue eyes incredibly bright in a pale face. "Lord Kouji?" Said Lord rolled his eyes and extended a hand, amazingly, to help Takuya to his feet.

"No, Lady Astar herself. Yes, Lord Kouji. And I repeat, what are you doing here?" Takuya, unaffected by sarcasm as he was overly used to it from his guardian, took the proffered hand and rose, dusting himself off.

"I'm sort of lost." He said abashedly. "I was looking for my room, you know, in the guest wing and I guess I took a few wrong turns, so, uh, yeah. I'm sort of lost." He finished lamely repeating his initial statement. What was it about Lord Kouji that made him so embarrassed when he said something stupid? With most other people he just laughed it off, but damned if he wasn't blushing madly again.

"Sort of lost?" Lord Kouji raised an eyebrow, a gesture that Takuya little knew he would become very accustomed to. "You mean, you sort of know your way, and you sort of don't? That _is _an awkward state to be in."

"No! I mean, yes! Well, that is, er …" Takuya trailed off, thoroughly confused by Lord Kouji's somewhat circular logic. "Ah, what I mean is, I'm lost. Completely lost. Utterly lost. I have absolutely no idea which way to go." He finally admitted, pulling his hat off and running his hand through his hair absent-mindedly, an unconscious effort to hide the blush.

"Well, I'm glad you've decided what you are." Lord Kouji said. "Well, I happen to be heading towards the general direction of the guest wing. Since I can't have you wandering _here_, at any rate, I'll take you as far as I'm going, and leave you to wander there. How is that, Half-Elf, or will it be necessary to escort you the entire way to your room?"

Takuya, slightly insulted by the Elf's cold smirk and irked by the suggestion under the words that he was incapable of returning to his quarters, retorted rather rudely, "I can find it on my own, thanks."

"Well, I'm afraid there might be too much meandering aimlessly through the hallways should I allow that to happen." Lord Kouji returned flawlessly. "And aimlessness leads to nosiness, and we can't have that, can we? No matter. It's no trouble to me." Seeing Takuya's reticence, he took an arm in a deceptively placid motion and, with a hold like steel, forcibly started Takuya walking. "Really," He added, "I insist. What kind of person would I be to allow someone to walk around lost?"

Takuya frowned, suspicious. "As long as it's not troubling … My Lord."

_'What's in Lornin that he's so very eager to hide?'_

The silence that permeated the hallways was broken only by the sound of their footsteps, eerily smothered by the deep carpet. Takuya gnawed his finger until he realized what he was doing, hid his hands in his pockets, whistled, stopped, and became very intent upon his feet, counting the seconds between each step. The silence seemed to be trying to squeeze the air out of him as he found himself breathing harder than he should have been, and tried to steady his breath. Of course he wasn't sneaking looks at the Elf Lord, who was amazingly entirely unperturbed by the quiet.

Just as Takuya thought he'd go mad with the repetitive footsteps, Lord Kouji spoke. The sigh of relief that Takuya had been ready to breathe was stopped by the words that fell on the air.

"Actually, I needed to talk to your guardian about your troublesome Elfish lineage. I may as well go see him now. Where might he be?" Takuya blinked. Troublesome?

"I wouldn't know. He may be in the room, but then again he may be out grubbing for money." Lord Kouji nodded.

"How like a minstrel. No matter, I'll track him down sooner or later. Sooner preferably. You don't mind, do you, if I take a look in your room to see if I can't find him?" The politeness of the Elf's tone, belying the words, grated on Takuya's nerves for some reason, the impersonal tone somehow irritating. 

"Sure." He ground out. "Why not, my Lord."

"Indebted, I'm sure." Said Lord Kouji carelessly. "Well, this is the guest wing, I believe, and as I don't know where exactly your room is, I suppose it's now your turn to be the guide." Takuya looked around, finally pinpointing his landmark – a large rusty suit of armor with a message scrawled on it with a blade, _Jenrya is a big meanie_.

"We turn left here. My Lord." Takuya pointed before realizing that the Elf could see perfectly well and dropped his hand. He followed the pattern on the wall aimlessly, until he saw his second landmark, a stain that looked like blood but he was sure was probably only coffee. Or something like that, he hoped. He turned to Lord Kouji, intent on breaking the suffocating silence, and was surprised when the Elf spoke first.

"Blood." He noted, brushing a finger across the stain. 

"What?" Takuya asked stupidly.

"You're part Elf, you can sense it too." Lord Kouji said irritably, then added, in an offhand tone, "Someone's died here."

Takuya stared in disbelief. "How can you say that in that kind of voice?" He demanded.  Lord Kouji stared back at him, blue eyes coldly and very slightly bemused.

"What kind of voice?" He asked frostily after a pause, while Takuya tried to look everywhere but the Elf and the bloodstain. "If you think I sound heartless for not breaking into tears at the mention of death, then you are more of a naïve small-town fool than I thought. Dying happens every day, every minute. If it were cause for sadness none would ever cease to cry."

Takuya frowned, disconcerted and embarrassed by the insult, and retorted, "There's no need to treat it so lightly either." Lord Kouji's eyebrows shot up in surprise, the most expressive face Takuya had yet seen from him.

"Light? Is that how it sounded?" He laughed then, the sound shivering through the air and sending Takuya's nerves haywire. Every pinprick of hearing seemed to overwhelm his brain as he stood and absorbed the resonant echoes. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end as the fathomless blue eyes came to rest on him again, unexpected amusement flickering in their depths. "If that's the way you chose to interpret my tone, then be assured it was not meant so. However," he added, "The fact that you react so strongly suggests either a rather traumatized person, else you indeed are someone from the backwoods where dying is hidden away from children."

Takuya flushed. "I'm no child! And for the record, I'm not trau – er … whatever else it was you said either!" Takuya actually had no clue what traumatized meant, but he wasn't about to give Lord Kouji the satisfaction of being correct.

Lord Kouji was about to reply when suddenly they reached the door and Asbard appeared, seemingly from nowhere, jingling again. Takuya's ears turned red once more, and for the first time he felt almost ashamed of his guardian. It was true, minstrels were a somewhat money-loving group, but there was no need to look so absolutely _exultant_ over it. 

"Takuya!" He began, then saw Lord Kouji and bowed quickly. "Lord Kouji! What brings you here?"

"There's no need to be so formal, minstrel." The stiffness of the words contrasted sharply with the words themselves, and Takuya was surprised to see the remarkable difference between the almost cheerful Lord Kouji of moments ago and the distant, polite Lord Kouji of the present. "I merely needed to see you for certain requirements for the boy's certification."

Takuya's anger rose again. Hadn't Izumi said something about the Lord being young?

_'Boy? He can't be much older than me!'_

"I'll be sixteen in fall." He challenged. The Elf nodded.

"Congratulations."

Takuya blushed, realizing the juvenile way in which he had behaved was completely inappropriate, and, he mentally added, rude, especially to one above his station. Asbard opened the door and led the way inside while Takuya fervently hoped the room was at least half-decently clean. For some inexplicable reason, Lord Kouji struck him as the kind of person who appreciated cleanliness. 

"Er, well, I guess that's it." He said aloud, feeling awkward now that their goal had been accomplished, and not quite sure what to do. "My Lord. Um, should I stay, or would you like me to leave?"

Lord Kouji blinked and turned to Asbard. "I suppose that would be up to your guardian. Whether or not you wish him to stay while you relate the story of his young life." One eyebrow rose in a questioning manner as he leaned against a wall, hidden in shadow. 

Asbard shrugged, gesturing for Takuya and the Lord to sit. "He's heard it all before. But if I may, might I ask why and exactly what you need to know, my Lord?"

"Takuya is not your child, no?" Takuya almost jumped when he heard his name from Lord Kouji for the first time. Something about the intonation made it seem different, somehow, than when others said it. Asbard eyed him funny and shook his head in agreement with Lord Kouji. "So I would like to know who his parents are, where he came from, that sort of thing."

"Well, I actually don't know who his parents might be." Asbard pulled a chair out. "Really, my Lord, you _must_ sit, after all how could we let you stand while we rest? Anyways," He said, continuing, "Takuya was brought to us by a mysterious person, an Elf, when he was about one or two. He was very young."

Lord Kouji slowly stepped into the light, accepting the seat, and settled with the air of a coiled spring, tense like a wildcat. Takuya found himself watching the play of light over the fine, pale skin of the Elf's face and neck. Asbard's eyes widened as he caught sight of the Lord's features. "Have you any idea who this Elf was?"

"_You_, my Lord!" Asbard blinked several times and then nodded. "It was definitely you! I'd remember that face anywhere. You can't have been more than five or six at the time, but 'twas you brought Takuya to us!"

Lord Kouji stared, speechless, then his mouth worked and he found one word. "_Me_?"

Takuya spoke at the same time as the Lord, equally shocked, "_Him_?"

~~~~~~ --- ~~~~~~~~~

"But Asbard, how could it have been Lord Kouji?" Takuya ranted after Lord Kouji had left, saying that he would 'look into it'. "There's no way, it can't have been! Why would he take it upon his too-holy self to bring a Half-Elf child to a Human family?"

Asbard shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I just know it was definitely that face." He said stubbornly. "I'd remember it if it were the last thing left, the night _you_ were brought to us. Our very own bundle of troubles."

Takuya sighed, and sank onto the bed, making himself comfortable. "Alright, I can tell you're going to tell a story and there's nothing I can do about it, so go ahead."

"Smart, boy." Asbard stroked his short beard thoughtfully. "Well, as I said you were but a baby, and the Elf was maybe five or six. It was directly after the sack of Sutasi, and the Missus and I were setting out our evenin' meal when suddenly a ferocious storm broke out, as if from nowhere. We ran about closing the shutters and herding in the animals, and I was about ready to go back into the house when the Missus shrieked …

"Asbard! Oh, quickly, you idiot man, quickly!" Asbard looked up from the doorway, muttering about wives and their uselessness. Despite his annoyance, he hastened towards the sound of his wife's cries and finally caught sight of her ample backside, swishing about agitatedly. 

"What is it, you vile woman? Can't a man sit to his dinner in peace?"

"Shut up, fool! There's a boy half-dead here!" Asbard quickened his pace, coming to stand beside her and looked down.

"Whose is it?" He asked.

"None of the villagers!" She exclaimed. "But he's just a child, bring him into the house quickly! Look at him, ragged and pale." So they carried the light figure into the small house and wrapped him in a blanket, dribbling water over his lips until he finally came around, eyelids flickering open to reveal deep blue eyes.

"Please …" He croaked.

"Don't try to speak, child." Mistress Dobblin brought the water to his mouth again, but he shook his head feebly.

"Take him, please …" He said, voice hoarse with effort, and he moved his arms to reveal the bundle he had been carrying. "You are … a minstrel … yes?"

The bundle unexpectedly moved, and Asbard caught it just before it hit the floor. "By Der'noth, it's alive!" He exclaimed, just as a small hand reached out of the cloth and grabbed onto his beard. "And Der'noth, it's strong!" He grunted, trying unsuccessfully to pull away.

The boy breathed out a sigh of relief. "He's alive." Mistress Dobblin turned back to him.

"Yes, and now you can rest. You must stay a while, poor thing, and get better, and we'll find your parents … oh, Lady!" She gasped.

"What is it now?" Asbard grumbled, having finally managed to free himself of the child's grasp.

"He's fainted dead away!" She said, fanning the air with her hand in an effort that was unclear as to whether it was directed more at the boy or herself. "Asbard, give that child to me or you'll kill it. You get the guest bed ready, and I'll get our guest ready. What are you standin' there starin' for, you idiot? Do it quickly!" Asbard ambled away, grumbling under his breath.

The next morning, Asbard was awakened by his wife's startled exclamations. "Asbard, come here! The boy's gone!"

He came into the guest room, rubbing sleep from his eyes. "What is it _now_, wretch?"

"That child, he's gone!" She pointed to the bed, neatly made, eyes wide. "Where could he have gone?"

"At least he had the decency to make the bed." Asbard noted. "And left us the baby, didn't he?" Sure enough, the baby was snuffling quietly in its sleep, turning to grab fistfuls of blanket and stuffing them into its mouth.

"What are you talkin' about, fool? That boy, he was is such poor condition, where would he go?" She fanned herself with her hand again, simultaneously pulling the shades open and smoothing out non-existent creases in the bedspread.

"Elves'll do what they will. He probably had a mission to fulfill or somethin'. Likelier than not the child is an orphan. Elves are known for bringin' children with no parents to those that'll care for them." Asbard stretched and went to look for coffee.

"Elf! That child was an Elf?" She cried.

"Aye, didn' you see the ears, woman?" He growled. "Or were you too busy fussin' and complainin' as usual?"

"Why would you give a child to a minstrel's family?" She asked.

"Who knows? Probably didn' know better." 

"He _asked_ if we were minstrels, Asbard." She snapped, handing him a mug and turning to bang down pots and pans. "And what will we do with a child, now, man? You travel more often than not and I have enough to deal with bein' village warden."

"Aye." He said, not fully awake. "You take it durin' the school year. I'll take it durin' the summer. Twixt us it'll grow up a fine young thingy or other."

"You fool!" 

But that was the way it was. And that is how it has been since. That's right, I've been burdened with the loudest, most obnoxious fool of a child for every summer for near fifteen summers now." Asbard concluded.

Takuya threw his head back onto the pillow. "I love how you describe me as 'it', old man." He sighed. "But are you sure it was Lord Kouji?"

Asbard shrugged. "It sure looked like it. But then, he seemed a tad too shocked for it to be him, didn' he?"

"He probably forgot." Takuya said meanly. "After all, of what consequence is a Half-Elf commoner to an Elf _Lord_?"

"Der'noth." Swore Asbard. "You're really part Elf then?"

"Yes." Takuya said, before turning over and starting to pick threads out of the pristine white bed covers.

"And to think, all this time, I had a huge cash opportunity right on hand and I didn't exploit it." Asbard moaned. "All the money I could have made – can you see it, Takuya? 'Half-Elf child! Real, before your eyes! One gold piece to feel his ears.'" Takuya stared.

"You were supposed to raise me into a 'fine young man'?" He asked, incredulous. "I'm just surprised you didn't sell me to a brothel when you had a chance."

"You wouldn't have brought much." Izumi's voice floated in from the doorway, startling both in the room. "Personally I think you'd have had more money from the feeling of the ears thing, although that is quite distasteful."

"Ah, my Lady!" Asbard said. "We didn't notice you."

"That was the idea." She said with a smile. "Now then, Takuya, it appears you found your way back at last." Not giving Takuya a chance to retaliate, she continued, "Lord Kouji has you currently labeled as 'parents unknown', do you know? But he's tacked a 'likely Sutasi victim' onto the end of that. Can you believe it? A Sutasi victim, Takuya, that means you're granted about 75% chance of finding your real parents." 

"Indebted, I'm sure." Takuya said, mocking the Elf Lord's words and tone. Izumi frowned at him, but allowed him the petty insult. There was a pause, and then Takuya asked, hesitantly, "So where will the Lord be heading next?"

Izumi stared at him blankly, then roared with laughter, finally crowing, "I was right! You've gone and fallen head over heels for his Lordship! Now you'll stalk him down until you finally get your wits enough together to profess your undying love!" Takuya sputtered incoherently, ears turning an unhealthy shade of red, and he would have launched himself for the seemingly defenseless Elf's throat had Asbard not held him down.

"Will you give up on that already?" He growled exasperatedly. "I've told you more than thrice now I've nothing but dislike for that arrogant, self-important creature that calls himself an Elf Lord!"

"So do the Council and all Astarian records." She said, finally calming down enough to speak. "Ah, speaking of Astaria. You're planning on continuing with us, aren't you?" She asked, turning to Asbard for confirmation. "Well, we're going to be heading for Astaria, Takuya, and if you want to follow along I suggest you request that you come under protection. Otherwise if we get into a skirmish you'll be left to fend for yourself."

"Skirmish?" Asbard asked. "Are the borders really that troublesome?"

Izumi snorted. "You mean, is Kananth* really having that much trouble with Sarin**." When both minstrels looked blankly at her, she sighed and elaborated. "Sarin and Kananth are having absolute fits over a recent prophecy from both Kulodis*** and Zenith****. It talks about replaying the entire darkness-light war, with new people. But since borders have obviously been adjusted since _that _incident, it's highly debatable whether 'stone high' refers to Zenith or Kulodis. Of course both want to claim it."

"Oh." Said Takuya, blinking. "What's so important about 'stone high'?"

"They aren't telling us." She said. "But we have a suspicion that likely it's a birthplace or something. Or the site of a battle. Sorayo says that it might even be the place where Lady Astar has been sleeping. And if it's the Lady, obviously Kananth would want to claim it. After all, its capitol is named after her."

"I see." Said Asbard, nodding sagaciously. 

"I see." Said Takuya as well, not really seeing at all, but not wanting to sound stupid.

"Well then," Izumi said brightly to alleviate the mood. "Asbard, I'm sure you're tired after playing all last night and this morning. Takuya, why don't _you_ go and entertain the hungry crowds for the moment?"

Takuya stared. "Why?" Izumi rolled her eyes.

"So you can earn money." Asbard said. "I agree. I'm dead tired, and I need more sleep than I got. You go fetch yourself some spendin' money. After all, in Astaria, you'll need it."

Izumi, not waiting for an answer, grabbed Takuya's arm and dragged the startled boy out of the room. "Wha – hold on, I need my …" In response she snagged his bag as well, bringing winces from both Takuya and the old minstrel as the contents clinked. 

"Have fun!" Called Asbard as he shut the door.

~~~~~~ --- ~~~~~~~~~

"You could have dented one of the instruments!" Takuya griped as he examined his harp. Izumi merely shrugged and turned into a hallway from which the sounds of laughter and merrymaking came. "Why were you so eager to drag me down here, anyways?"

"Asbard told me you knew a few of the original versions of the legend songs." She explained. "The current ones that are floating around have been so romanticized that the original story has become more than a little warped. Because of the prophecy, everyone is really eager to hear the original versions."

"Why couldn't _he_ have done it?" Takuya muttered unhappily. "I'm sure he knows them just as well as I do."

"Would you believe me if I said it came from the goodness of my own heart and I really wanted you to earn some money?" She asked hopefully. Takuya stared at her, still holding the harp, and started laughing. Izumi faked a pout. "Do you really trust me that little?"

"Yes." Takuya said, finally managing to stop. "The goodness of your heart …" He trailed off into derisive laughter again.

"Come on." She said impatiently. "It isn't that funny. Takuya, the truth is, I wanted you to come along because – my Lord!" Takuya's head shot up, his hands nearly dropping the delicate harp. 

_'This guy is everywhere!'_

"Izumi." Lord Kouji nodded. "You." He inclined his head almost undetectably at Takuya, cold condescension in his eyes. Takuya flushed with anger.

"My Lord." He replied tensely. Izumi looked back and forth, obviously suppressing a smile. Takuya glared at her, convincing himself that it was _not _an attempt to avoid the dark blue eyes.

"May I inquire as to why the Lord is wandering in the lowly Guard quarters?" Izumi said, surprisingly capable of politeness. 

"Well now, what's so lowly about the Guard?" He asked, a hint of amusement in the slight tilt of his head. "I certainly can't claim to be much cleaner than any." Izumi laughed, a somewhat flirty and girlish air tingeing the usually hearty sound. Takuya looked at her in surprise, seeing her coy pose and sweet smile that seemed to affect the Elf Lord not at all.

_'She's after him too, so why's she always so – what am I thinking, 'too'? She's after him, just after, not too. I'm not after a stuck up, prissy Elf!'_

"My Lord is too gracious." She said. "Will the Lord be joining us at the commons hall, then?"

"My heart is sorely dejected to reveal the news, but I fear not." He returned flawlessly. "And did I not request that my Guard address me by me given name?"

"Certainly, but you're far too high in rank above us for us to call you such without a great breach of etiquette." Izumi said. Takuya, watching the exchange, couldn't help but wonder at Elves, the playful formality both the Lord and Izumi were using as easily as if they had been born speaking it.

"Certainly." Lord Kouji said dryly. "Well then, Izumi, I hate to leave my Guard without the less-than-pleasant company of their leader, but there are pressing matters that need to be attended to. I'm afraid I must take my leave of you now." He inclined his head graciously, and, turning to Takuya, suddenly allowed a hint of a smirk. "And you, young Half-Elf. Fearing I may not be able to see you before fall, Lady forbid, many happy returns." Takuya blushed wildly.

"I – ah-" He sputtered. "Th–thank you. My Lord." He finally ground out, still bright red.

Lord Kouji looked strangely at him, then suddenly reached out and brushed a smudge of dirt from Takuya's face, wearing a half-smile. He drew his hand back quickly, looking surprised as if he had acted completely on impulse, and for the first time Takuya thought he could detect a hint of embarrassment. His own face was burning.

"Ah …" Said the Lord in the uncomfortable silence. "I take my leave." He finished and hastily retreated.

Izumi blinked after the Lord had disappeared down the hall. "You mean, Takuya, you've already given him your birthday?" She teased, elbowing him sharply in the ribs, winding him. "My, I thought you were pretty far but I had no clue you'd gotten so much progress!"

"What are you talking about?" He finally managed. "I'm not – I didn't, I mean, we didn't … ah …"

"Didn't what?" She asked.

"We – argh! You know what?" He growled.

"What?"

"Go away."

~~~~~~ --- ~~~~~~~~~

(A/N: I got really, really lazy. So there is no text. Imagine Takuya singing. On second thought, don't … And I sincerely apologize for the really, really lame and crappy poetry.)

_Ages ago upon our fresh young shore_

_Strife and warfare the land had tore_

_Tears immeasurable, the people mourned_

_Waiting for light to return once more_

_Born upon stone high came there_

_Of light and dark was two a pair_

_Saw them the aged mountain declared_

_Never were there two more fair_

_Alas! Came time when two were split_

_When stone high fire ceased to spit_

_To darkness one was a treasured gift_

_And to light, the other given it_

_Both grew not knowing the other_

_Neither dreaming he had a brother_

_Consumed with sadness young died the mother_

_And thus all memories soon were smothered_

_Darkness finally traded with light_

_Desperate now to end the strife_

_Yet the price was unseemly high_

_Both fair brothers would lose their life_

_Now! A Lady, noble and fine_

_Comes finally, now is the time_

_She said, "Let instead it be I,_

_Let them live, and I shall die."_

_Moved by such love, light and dark_

_Did to the Lady kindly hark_

_But instead of cruelly stopping her heart_

_Let her lie at the place she'd marked_

_And Men will guard her, for it is known_

_Men will die before Elves are grown_

_And they will forget the truth of their gold_

_But remain they will, till all is old_

_Light and dark will return again_

_Again the world will seem to end_

_Pain will rule throughout the land_

_And Lady she will rise again_

~~~~~~ --- ~~~~~~~~~

"Is it coming time then?"

"I fear so, big brother."

"We will head for Astaria, yes?"

"Yes, big brother. May I …" 

"Bring him. There's little I could do to stop him from following, is there?"

"Yes, it is as you say. But, I fear, perhaps …"

"What is it?"

"It is … it means nothing. It will likely come to nothing."

"And the legend songs? What of they?"

"They too, mean nothing …"

~~~~~~ --- ~~~~~~~~~

TBC~

* - Kananth – the country in which Kuya and the current cast are in. It's kind of the strongest country as of the moment, but it has considerable quarrels with the neighboring country of Sarin. Astaria is located in the southwesterly part.

** - Sarin – the country that argues with Kananth a lot. Capitol, Zenarik. It is the closest to Kananth in power because it has an Elf Mountain as well, Zenith. Zenarik is pretty far from Astaria, in fact almost the furthest point of Sarin from Kananth. The two countries are separated by a large triangle-shaped stretch of forest and a river. Which I'll name at some point, hopefully.

*** - Kulodis – the Elf Mountain of Kananth. Where Kouji comes from! Yeah! o It's always in dispute with Zenith, which is why a similar prophecy has become such a big deal.

**** - Zenith – the Elf Mountain of Sarin. It'll be explained better later, I hope. At least, I'm planning. 

Iya! More character development. I scare me. Really I do. And what's with the cheesy legends? And the cheesy poems? You'd figure with the high level of artistry they'd have better poems, ne? And the mysterious people at the end! Well … I'm not sure if they're mysterious or not … but you'll find out soon. If not in the next chapter, then the one after that! ;P

Now then. PLEASE HELP! -

Does anyone know the Japanese name of Jenrya (Henry)'s little sister? In the English she was 'Suzy', was her Japanese name the same, or was it dubbed too? Please help! She's the one that wrote 'Jenrya is a big meanie', by the way. I know, who would give a little kid a knife? Now, rephrase that to, who would give a little kid a dark lord/digimon/master thingie? I forget. I don't remember much of III. It went by too fast.

Well then. Review, please!

Replies to reviews. Oh, did I mention? I have very entertaining reviewers. They amuse me, really. I couldn't explain why. Go read them for yourself … 

**verdenda** – You horrible, horrible perverted person. I'm never going to be able to look at that line the same again! Of course I knew when I wrote it that it would only be a matter of time before someone noticed the subliminal message … But still! Cast-iron skillet! *klang klang* I write better? O.o If my English teacher (bitch!) had her way she'd say it's because I learned about subordinate clauses and crap. I refuse to agree! I knew how to connect sentences before she told me. I don't like her much, can you tell?

**takuya** – OMG, I'm talking to Takuya?! Eeks! Marry me! Ok … um … yes. J/k. Yes, I do have more than one reviewer. Much indebted! Domo arigatou! And as for Kouichi, our beloved angst character, yes, he is in this fic. In fact, he's a major plot point … I have a plot?! *gasp* So Kouichi will appear. Unfortunately, not soon, but he WILL be here! It was totally implied in my pitiful attempt at song writing. Koffdarkkoff. 

**Dragi** – Nice to have you review again. Thank you! :D Yay, it's improving. I'm sooo happy! Overjoyed! And as for the next chapter, I swear it should be up soon. I think. Probably. Many interesting things and people happen in the next chapter. And how is Takuya going to end up with Kouji anyway? All will be revealed! … Maybe.

**flamon-fan** – Wow, just that name is amusing. I'm glad you like it. Hope you read on!

**Rebecca Lyn** – The plot thickens indeed! And even more so in chapter three. It's become like hearty Irish beef stew (the canned kind)! Don't worry about not reviewing. I'm happy enough that you just read the first chapter. Smile, smile! Grin like idiots and dance around singing, Takouji, Takouji!

**Saikisu** – You want more? Well, I try to please so here it is. Hope it lived up to your expectations, but then again, the plot seems to be dragging along really slowly. It will speed up soon, I swear!

Alright. Does anyone mind if I throw in other couples, just to stew the pot of confusion even more? Yes. Like Yamato/Taichi, Jenrya/Takato, stuffage like that. Mebbe even Daiken, but I'm hard-pressed to figure out how I'd make that work. I think the only people that might still be straight by the end of this fic may well be Ryo and Ruki, and Takeru and Hikari. I'm sorry. Takari was my first foray into fanfiction, so … I suppose it's probably my last tribute to them. And het in general. Ryo and Ruki I always wanted to write but never got around to, because III ended. If you want a vote, please TELL ME! Well then. 

REVIEW!!!

Domo,

~Lokogato-sama

Chapter Four:

Basically Takuya actually makes it to Astaria (interesting events occur along the way) and enters the Council for as-of-now undisclosed reasons. Forced together day in and day out, Kouji and Takuya develop a mutual grudging admiration and maybe more … More details about all the border fuss and FINALLY some real plot development! Yeah! And more characters will be introduced. Probably. Yesh. 

I think I should have all of the Season III characters by Ch. 4, and likely a lot of the I/II characters as well. And whattabout the rest of IV, you ask? Well, you'll have to keep reading to find out.

Ugh. That just begged for, "Don't forget to tune in next time to: Digimon: Digital Monsters."

Except … "Don't forget to tune in next time to: Loko's Demented Works: The Minstrel's Son."

REVIEW! *hearts*


	4. Chapter Four

Gomen ne for the lateness of this update! Please forgive me

looks at clock Mon _dieu_, it's frickin' 12 at night … arggghh … the lengths I go for plot angels and inspiration … staggers to sleep

Dedicated to Ryo-chan, because she read and fixed the draft. And because there are SO many ideas of hers in this chapter. I love you! You rock!

--

The Minstrel's Son

--

Chapter Four

--

"Takuya? Takuya! Wake up, dummy!" Takuya jolted awake as someone gently slapped the back of his head.

"Wha-? Huh?" He said, blinking blearily at the person. "Who? Izumi?"

"You scare me sometimes." Izumi said, a bemused look on her face. "How can you sleep while riding Mist, for Lady's sake? She has to be the highest-spirited thing I've seen. And you're sleeping on her!"

Takuya brushed stray hair off his forehead, slowly restarting his thinking process. "You'd be surprised at how easy it is to fall asleep if you're used to long rides. But," He continued, finally looking around to gauge their location, "Since you're a Guard unit you're more often riding hard in quick short bursts, so you wouldn't have much chance to sleep in the saddle."

"Or maybe you're just lazy." Izumi snorted. "Anyways, I woke you up to tell you we're going to take a break for lunch. After this it's about another half-day or so to Astaria."

"Oh, good." Takuya said. "A break, finally!"

"Except since you've been sleeping, _you're_ going to help set up and serve lunch." Izumi said viciously, smiled sweetly and rode off. Takuya groaned, but brightened up somewhat. Serving lunch? He'd never tried it before and maybe, he reasoned, it could be interesting. He wasn't one to turn down new experiences.

"Alright then. How hard can it be?"

---

"I take it all back!" Takuya cried desperately. "It's hard! It's way harder than I thought it would be! _Please _let me _go_!"

"Nuh-uh." Izumi said. "Everyone else has been riding hard and on watch, while _you_ slept away. You should do something to help out, especially since you're going under our protection after all."

"What?" Takuya half-squeaked, adolescent voice breaking. "Hey, that was totally not my fault! You people wouldn't give us passes so we had to come along!"

Izumi shrugged. "Not my problem." Her eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, 'you people'? You're a Half-blood too, remember?" She snarled. Takuya blinked at her, surprised at what appeared to be anger, until suddenly she laughed and whacked him upside the head. "Gotcha! Anyways, we can't spare anyone for lunch duty. Sorry, but it's actually a high-risk … er, that is, it's not, um … yes. We're very busy."

Takuya raised an eyebrow at her as she stumbled over her words clumsily, hastily turning to stir the stew again. Wordlessly, she handed a bowl of soup to him, glaring at him as if he had done something wrong.

Suddenly a cry rang out from the far end of the camp, causing both Half-Elves to jump. Takuya spilled half of the soup onto the table and began to curse, but Izumi shushed him sharply, wearing a worried expression. When the yell came again, there was no mistaking the words.

"Ambush!"

Takuya instantly dropped everything and started, at a half-running half-diving pace, for his horse and bags. At least, he tried. Izumi snagged his shirt at the last moment, yelling into his face.

"Idiot! Just because you're under protection doesn't mean you don't do anything! Now watch the food!" She mounted her bay and reached into her saddlebags, bringing out a sling of arrows and stringing her bow before riding off with a final warning. "If so much as a drop is spilled, I'll murder you!"

Grumbling and in a high state of anger, Takuya settled back to the table, looking around at every sound of conflict. Soon, the sounds of an all-out skirmish were filling the clearing and he could clearly see the small Elf patrol faltering under the onslaught from the attackers.

"What am I supposed to guard the food _with_?" He suddenly realized, seeing that the most lethal weapon he had in easy range was a pot. His eyes fell on the bags he had dived for previously. There was a small dagger inside, but he had never expected to be attacked within Kananth and thus hadn't decided to wear it. That, and the fact that it dug into his leg irritatingly.

A cry alerted him to the state of the guard, and he saw a small section cave in, allowing a group of the ambushers to rampage into the midst of the camp, overturning fires and bags. One caught sight of him and began to head towards the food table. Takuya swore and, running on desperation, ran for his bags, hoping to fumble out the dagger in time.

Unfortunately, the other was mounted and he was on foot. Resting one hand on the covering of his bags, he turned just in time to see a dark shadow fall over him and an arm, bearing a blindingly bright and _sharp_ sword, raise high into the air.

_'Shit.'_

Instinctively Takuya ducked, arms raised to protect his face despite the fact that he knew it would be useless. He cringed, waiting for the impact, squeezing his eyes shut. However, instead of the sound of metal in flesh and the pain he had been expecting, there was a sharp clang and a curse of surprise from the masked attacker. Cautiously lowering his arms, he saw the one he had least expected to see.

"M – my Lord!"

Lord Kouji was there, astride a magnificent black horse, a look of anger on his face as he deftly ran the black-clad attacker through, twisting his sword calmly. Takuya heard the wrench of bone and rent of flesh and suddenly felt sick. He wouldn't be having any of the stew today, he decided, watching in both revulsion and fascination as the blood ran in little rivulets down to the ground, disappearing amongst the grass.

Then the Lord turned to him and he could have sworn he saw concern and worry filter into the irritated expression before the Elf carefully schooled his face back into the usual impassive look.

"Are you an idiot?" Lord Kouji said. "Why aren't you armed?"

Takuya flushed. "I … I left my dagger in my saddle bag." He finally said, looking anywhere but the piercing blue eyes.

"A dagger?" Lord Kouji said incredulously, and then laughed in amusement. Takuya watched, unwittingly enthralled with the Elf Lord despite the small spatters of blood on his pale face. Meanwhile, the sounds of fighting edged in closer. Neither noticed. "You were planning to defend yourself – and our meal – with a dagger?"

Unsure of what else to do, Takuya nodded reluctantly. The Lord shook his head, still highly amused. A piercing cry rang over the forest and both flinched, suddenly remembering where they were and under what circumstances. Instantly the blue-eyed Elf's face returned to a businesslike demeanor. Reaching into his cloak, he unbuckled a belt and brought out a short half-sword, tossing it carelessly to Takuya, who only barely managed to catch it.

"Here. Use this." Takuya had only just freed the weapon from its sheath when the first real wave of attack broke into the camp. Lord Kouji frowned. "And you're on foot."

"I can ride." Takuya growled, jumping lightly onto Mist. If there was one thing he prided himself on, it was his horsemanship. Having grown up in an area of Centris renowned for fine breeds of horses, he was familiar with both the animals and the art of riding them. Inwardly he grinned wildly and flushed in pleasure as Lord Kouji raised an eyebrow in approval.

_'Why do I want to impress him so much, dammit?'_

Arrows began to fly by, making slight whirring noises. Takuya ducked one that nicked the top of his head, and looked over to see Lord Kouji wearing an irritated expression, dodging arrows that all seemed to be aimed straight for him.

"Look out!" Takuya shouted as one flew particularly close. Lord Kouji raised an arm instinctively and barely suppressed a small cry as it ripped through the cloth of his sleeve. A spatter of blood sprayed from the arm and Takuya almost leapt forward off his horse.

"_Damn _it." Lord Kouji grunted, and Takuya settled back, relieved. If the Elf Lord was fine enough to swear … But he felt an uncomfortable feeling a guilt creep down his back, and he couldn't help feeling responsible.

The two parted ways in the skirmish, both the Elves and the attackers' bright swords flashing brightly. It was a small ambush, and despite the initially grim outlook, it soon became clear that the enemy, on foot, was no match for mounted and skilled Guards. Two more waves attempted to overrun the lines the patrol had formed and failed to an accurate onslaught of arrows.

It was on the fourth and final attempt that Takuya looked up from his victim, feeling sicker than ever, and realized he was in something of another quandary. He had, in his teenage bloodlust and urge to prove himself after having to be rescued by his self-proclaimed rival, ridden out too far and was almost completely locked off from the rest of the group.

"Der'nath." He muttered, spurring towards the lines only to have his escape cut off. Growing fearful for his life, he turned to try another way only to find more of the dark-clothed men, apparently quite cheerful at having caught at least one prisoner. "Let me through!" He demanded, fruitlessly.

"Well, look at the little bird, separated from his mother." One of the men jeered, bringing raucous laughter to the desperate group. "Don't worry, birdie, we'll take care of you good and well."

"Go away!" Takuya managed, cursing his pathetic attempt at being threatening. "I … You'll regret it!"

More laughter greeted his words as they closed in. His breath hitched in his throat as he raised Lord Kouji's sword and swung, only to have it parried sharply, sending a sting up through his arm and into his neck, leaving an uncomfortable warm feeling there. He had a feeling he was going to regret that particular move later.

"I said leave me alone!"

"Actually, you said 'go away', birdie." One man reached forward quickly and grabbed his ankle, and as if it was a signal all of the other rushed in. Takuya swung randomly and frantically, but he was soon overwhelmed and somewhere in the fray his sword was lost. Someone grabbed his leg again and pulled, and he went down, tumbling and yelling.

The ground was hard and he hit it with a heavy thud. Instantly a ring of glittering steel surrounded him, pointed at various sensitive parts of his body. Like his face, or his gut. Or his neck.

"Get away from me!" He growled as they leered down at him, unsure of which direction to move in. It seemed that no matter which way he turned there was something sharp in his face. Slowly, he realized that he was going to die, and his heart missed a beat and thumped. He was too young to die. And why the hell did he have an image of Lord Kouji in his head?

Won't get to know him, he thought dimly. Something rose in the back of his throat, panic, or fear, or something else, and it manifested in his voice as he screamed, "I'm not going to die, dammit! Get _away!_"

A blinding light flashed as the something exploded, shedding flames in every direction. Screams met his ears as men burst into flames. The ones closest to him simply dissolved before his shocked eyes, and still he could feel the heat pouring from him in waves. Working from instinct, he found voice.

"_Pyro dragons!_"

The clearing was fire. Everything around him was burning, in a perfect circle of flames. And people were screaming, screaming, and burning, and there was so much warmth, and there before his eyes there was this lithe figure of light, holding something in his hands and chanting so softly, so comfortingly …

"Takuya."

That voice, it sounded so familiar.

"Takuya, rein it in." The voice was firm, he recognized it, he knew it, it was … "Takuya, do you see the flames?"

He nodded.

"Envision them in your mind and draw them back into your body."

Into his body? He would burn! But there was that voice, and that outstretched hand was so friendly, so caring. A surge of trust flowed into his mind. He closed his eyes and felt the burning again, but this time instead of allowing it to explode he mentally reached out as with tendrils of thoughts, and gathered the fire into a bundle, bringing it back to himself, feeling his body merging with the flames and feeling nothing but a cool, not altogether unpleasant sensation.

Takuya's eyes opened.

"Good, you're back." Said a voice, relieved. There, above him on that horse for the second time that day.

"My … Lord?" He said, his voice sounding strained. Those cool blue orbs met his, only this time there was definitely concern and something softer, something infinitely caring in them. The rational part of his mind slowly returned, muttering something unintelligible about impossibilities, but he was too tired to care. Whatever that had been, he was too exhausted to make sense of it, and as he stared into the depths of Lord Kouji's eyes, he felt safe. Felt at home, somehow …

"Takuya!" Asbard said as his adoptive son's head dropped unconscious onto the ground again, starting forward and stopping as the Elf Lord jumped off the horse. "My Lord?"

"I'll take him." He said coolly, reaching down and swinging the limp body into his arms. Blood stained his sleeve but he seemed not to feel it as he looked down at the Half-Elf, expression almost tender.

"Let's go."

---

Takuya drowsily opened his eyes the tiniest possible crack. He felt like he had a hangover, minus the blinding headache. Otherwise, all the other symptoms of tiredness and weakness were there. No, he wasn't merely tired. He felt completely drained, as if someone had reached into his consciousness and simply took away all his energy.

The scenery was moving, he noted. That was unusual. He watched the trees march uniformly into the distance with a slightly bemused air, and snuggled into the warmth that was holding him. Holding him?

There was a horse beneath him, but it wasn't Mist. It was a shining black creature, magnificent despite the reek of sweat that floated slightly upwards. Had he been riding the entire time? He'd fallen asleep on the ride again, hadn't he? But that didn't explain the change of mount.

"So you've awoken."

_'Huh?'_

He looked up, realizing that the source of warmth and the possessor of the two arms preventing him from falling off the horse must be a person. And that specific person was currently looking down at him with an amused expression, one eyebrow slightly raised.

"Lord Kouji?" He choked out. "What – why – how …"

"I'll explain it later." The Elf said calmly, eyes unreadable. "How are you feeling right now? Do you think you can ride?"

Takuya's mind finally grasped the situation, and he bolted upright, face bright cherry red. The horse snorted in irritation but plodded on.

"Er, yes. Certainly. Um." He stammered unintelligibly. "Ah, I mean, if … uh … Yes."

Lord Kouji smirked at his charge's uncomfortable silence. "Well, I suppose we will stop for a rest here. Our plans have been thrown off-kilter, so likely well be riding through the night, so I advise you to get some sleep now." Evidently, he had heard nothing of Takuya's prowess in sleeping on the move.

It was a flustered and still tired Takuya that meandered his way to his guardian and friend as they rested in the shade. Izumi caught sight of him first and immediately began to speak.

"Aren't you happy, Takuya? It seems Lord Kouji returns your sentiments." Takuya rolled his eyes. How could he not have seen _that_ coming?

"Sure, Izumi. Whatever." He said, resigned. "What's your supposed proof now?"

Asbard raised an eyebrow. "When you fainted, I was going to get you, m'boy, but he fairly grabbed you up instead. Seems to me either he's quite fond of you or he's afraid you're going to poison everyone else." Takuya frowned.

"What happened?" He remembered nothing, reflected, after he had screamed in defiance. There had been a huge burst of heat, and then he had blacked out. Then there was this hazy recollection of a figure robed in light, holding his hand and drawing him back to sanity …

"Oh yeah." Izumi said around a mouthful of something. "We think you might be a Firestarter, Takuya."

"A _whatnow_?" Said Takuya blearily, still dead tired.

"A … oh, never mind." Izumi said, seeing that Takuya was too worn-out to comprehend anything she said. "Let Lord Loverboy explain it to you."

Takuya's eyes drooped, and he only feebly retorted to her words with a faint, "Not."

Then Sorayo came by with Lieutenant Yamato, both of them looking worried. "Our Healer is down." She said, in response to Izumi's querying look. "He was hit by an enemy arrow."

"Those bastards were using poisoned arrows." Said the Lieutenant with an angered growl. "Low, sneaky, dishonorable …" He trailed off, still streaming expletives. Sorayo gave a warm smile in apology and the two made to ride away, but were interrupted by Takuya, who had only just registered the words.

"Poisoned arrows?" He said, looking horrified. Slightly confused, Yamato nodded. "But …" Brown eyes widened. "But Lord Kouji was hit by one of those!"

"He was _what_?" Lieutenant Yamato snarled, reaching out and grabbing a fistful of Takuya's collar. His tanned cloak slipped off his shoulders as he was roughly dragged forward by his red robes. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"Hey, hey!" Izumi said, reaching forward and half dislodging the furious blonde's hand. "He was asleep earlier, remember?"

Yamato stared, then reluctantly conceded and let go of the cloth. Takuya massaged the back of his neck where the cloth had grated roughly against his skin, looking shaken.

"Is the poison bad?" He asked, hesitantly. "Is there any way to help?"

"It needs direct treatment, else it will infect and may prove fatal." Said the Lieutenant, still angry. "And unless you have Healing skills, you'll be useless. Trust the Lord not to say anything even after learning that the arrows are poisonous." Yet again, the two tried to leave, but were stopped once again by the rustle of cloth on skin. Only this time, it was Takuya that grabbed the Elf Guard's forest green robes.

"But I have Healing skills!" He said. When they didn't reply, he took it as disbelief and hastily added, "Well, it's not like I'm a great Healer, but I can treat basic wounds and some poisoning with the right materials!"

Sorayo blinked again and finally nodded. "Alright." She pointed to the huge black horse tethered under the tree. "Lord Kouji should be over there. If you can convince him to let you tend him, then please do the best you can. I wish you the best of luck." She added wryly.

The Elfish Healers had a great deal of _stuff_, Takuya decided. Most of it he had no clue what to do with, like the weird spiky plant and the dark, smooth, glass-like stones, but the plants he generally used for poisons and of course bandages were there, much to his relief.

_'It was my fault he got hurt. That's why I'm going to help him. Not for anything Izumi says, or hints at, or anything even remotely like that.'_

He continued in this vein, trying to convince himself. Of course he wasn't trembling because of the anticipation of touching that beautifully pale skin. He was nervous, that's all.

_'Although the guy has amazing skin. It's so soft looking. And that hair … I could play with it forever, it's so silken and soft and the way it falls out around his face is so … succulent – where did _that_ come from?!'_

Takuya shook his head viciously. Bad thoughts, bad thoughts! He chided himself. He would end up just as Izumi said, hanging off the Lord's every word simply because he loved the sound of that voice …

"Argh!" He growled, out loud, startling the target of his intentions. Lord Kouji had been napping under the tree, using his pack as a pillow.

"Takuya!" He said angrily. "You startled me! I might have taken you for an enemy and killed you!"

"Like that'd be much loss." Takuya muttered, feeling guilty when the Elf Lord flinched at his harsh tone. "Sorayo and Lieutenant Yamato said the Elfish Healer got hit, and I remember you got hit with an arrow, so … uh … I'm here to treat you." He stumbled over his words, mentally cursing himself. But how was one supposed to elucidate this kind of situation?

"You?" Lord Kouji said skeptically, raising a slender eyebrow. "And how exactly are _you_ going to treat me? Besides," He continued, looking away from Takuya's questioning eyes, "I'm not even that badly wounded."

"But the arrows were poisonous!" Takuya said fervently. "If you get infected and die then it'll be all my fault! And then what am I supposed to do? Say, 'Oh, I'm sorry, my bad' and, and … "

"How would it be your fault?" Lord Kouji asked.

"Because you were … helping me when you got hit with that arrow." Takuya said, regretting his miniature outburst already.

"That was my own fault." Lord Kouji said darkly. "I wasn't paying attention."

"But still, I feel guilty!" Takuya sighed, frustrated. He raked a hand through his already-unruly hair and hoped his eyes weren't too desperate. "Please? Just let me bind it or something. Look, it's not going to hurt you. Just pretend you're doing me a favor."

"Why the urge to do this goodwill?" Lord Kouji inquired, suspicious again. Takuya's anger rose and he abruptly pinned the accursedly and yet adorably stubborn Elf Lord to the tree.

_'Wait, adorably?'_

"I already said it, didn't I?" Takuya snapped. "Because I feel bad, I feel guilty! I feel like it's my fault and now I owe you something and it might as well be this since I'm good for nothing else! Because you might end up dying if you don't get it treated and I don't know why but _I don't want you to die_!!"

Wide blue eyes stared at him, at a loss for words at Takuya's passionate actions. Slender musician's hands came to rest from where they had been entangled in dark blue cloth and strands of rich hair. Takuya himself was shocked to silence. Where had those words come from? Did he care enough for the Elf Lord to justify them, anyway? And why did he care at all for the rather arrogant person before him, the surprise in the deep blue eyes slowly fading away?

"Ah …" Takuya said, suddenly realizing the implications of his actions. "Er … I'm … uh …" He couldn't swallow his pride and spit out 'I'm sorry'. Luckily, Lord Kouji seemed to not want one as he looked away from Takuya's gaze.

Takuya mentally slapped himself. He was seeing things again. Elf Lords don't blush.

"Here." Takuya blinked at the proffered arm, covered by a hastily wrapped bandage, already stained with blood and unraveling. Clearly, it had been done quickly on the move. Brown eyes softened from the blazing anger, and Takuya awkwardly moved away from where he had noticed he was awfully close to the slender body to get out the necessary items.

He had to admire the Elf Lord, he mused later, eyelids threatening to fall down on him again. The Elf hadn't even flinched when he had applied the stinging disinfectant directly into the wound.

Takuya yawned. The abrupt burst of anger earlier had drained him from the little energy he had regained while he was asleep, and as he had cleaned the wound and bandaged it, he had found it rather difficult to concentrate on the task and hand and instead blushed repeatedly under the intense stare of the Elf. Takuya sighed and hoped that Lord Kouji had taken it as a flush of concentration.

When he yawned again, he felt a hand on his arm.

"You don't look alert enough to ride." Said the deep voice. A shiver ran down Takuya's back as he felt the proximity of their bodies through the feel of warm breath on his neck.

"I'll be fine." He managed, shifting uncomfortably away.

"No, you'll probably pitch headlong into a ditch somewhere and be lost to the world forever." Lord Kouji's deep blue eyes were amused, although the rest of his face showed little change. "And all the geezers in the Elders Council would screech about my having lost what may well be the most talented Firestarter in a century."

There it was again, that word _Firestarter_. What was it anyways? Takuya opened his mouth to ask, and, mortified, found himself yawning once more.

Quiet laughter greeted this, gentle chuckles making Takuya want to laugh along. He felt inexplicably gratified – he had made the Elf Lord laugh.

_'Izumi's predictions are coming true … bad Takuya! Bad mind!'_

"Ride with me again." Lord Kouji offered, not commanded, a hand held out to help Takuya onto the horse.

Suddenly a flash of memory assailed Takuya's mind –

_a pale hand, held out in concern and friendship, in the midst of fire, everywhere, the urgent voice saying, "You're but a babe! I have to get you out of here!" and he felt himself being lifted and the voice said, "When you grow up, you probably don't understand me, but my name is_

The ground reeled and he somehow ended up in the Elf Lord's arms. His mind, however, was too occupied for it to remember his usual bright red blush.

_'What the heck was that?'_

---

TBC

Author notes:

It's so freaking hot here, so I'm typing this downstairs in the living room, where my brother is watching some queer episode of Teletubbies … and there's some ancient Elvis-impersonator singing something about the grande ould Duke of York and some guy playing a Bernstein that sounds like the Steinway my piano teacher has downstairs … and Lala just let loose with the biggest wind ever … O.O;; is disturbed

Anyhoo …

Yes. Well. Chapter preview? I don't know …

--

Chapter Five preview:

So, Takuya finally makes it Astaria. Of course, being a teenager in one of the biggest cities in the known world, what does he do? Go shopping, sightseeing, and get your fortune told of course! But, lucky Takuya, Lord Kouji has to show up blabbering something about 'training' and 'Firestarter'. Does this guy have to interrupt all of his plans?

And what's this? A message from Kulodis Mountain, demanding Lord Kouji bring Takuya and go there? What the heck is it with these Elves and bothering Takuya?

And what's with all the weird flashes of memory Takuya keeps getting? Will Takuya ever manage to beat Lord Kouji in a war of words? Will Izumi ever stop hinting at their supposed relationship? And what kind of guardian says 'I'm going to the next city, have a nice time, Takuya'??

Find out in the next chapter of The Minstrel's Son!

--

(Gods, what a lame name …)

--

**Replies to Reviews **(General message: How come everyone's so SMART? Gahk. My plot points are all figured out .):

**tenshi208** – I'm glad you like it. And I'm really sorry this took so long to update X

**ryo** – Yay! You love it? Really? sparkly eyes I'm so happy!

**Earth Magician** – Ooh, cool screen name. And yes, you're right. Good for you! Now please don't go telling people who didn't guess from the obvious-ness of everything … Er … yes. Kouichi, you annoyingly obvious barstard! I hope you (still) keep reading!

**peachschtick** – Wow, you read it twice? O.o. I feel loved shine Izumi is one of those characters that's easy to develop through dialogue. While watching the show I realized that – it was pretty clear what kind of person she was in the way she spoke and her (in writing, implied) inflection. Kouji and Takuya are a little more difficult so I'm going to try and clarify them a little better as the fic progresses. Hope you liked the chapter! Oh, and thanks for the info. smiles

**Rebecca Lyn** – I thought the readers might appreciate a little fluff here and there :) Apparently you liked it, that's great! That one paragraph wasn't there before, actually, I added it on impulse. Because I could totally see it happening! Er … thankies for the compliment on the poem? ducks and cowers from mallet And thankies for sharing 'Shuichon'. Beef stew IS good.

sings: Takouji, Takouji … etc. (It's okay. I can continue for you until my mother tells me to do my homework XD) Don't you hate it when you're having a nice little fangirl moment and the word 'work' just has to go and ruin it all? I'm writing a paper and my English teacher has decided she doesn't like the Internet so we can only have one Internet source and all my book sources are hundreds of pages long … Ugh … Well, anyways, hope you liked this chapter and that you'll keep reading! puppy eyes

**Kendosakuyamon** – Well, the fic is certainly interesting … the quality … however … Well, you liked it, so I'm appeased. :) Ah! I confess! It was. sniffles Am I really that obvious? Kouji's yours? Aww … can't we share just a little bit? C'mon … Takuya won't mind, right? (Takuya: glares threateningly and glomps possessively onto Kouji)

**Dragi** – Yay, still readin' and reviewin'. I'm sooooo happy! And yes, you guessed right too. It WAS … but we'll see how that works out, because there are certain … let's say dilemmas that may make that fact a little unfeasible. But you're still right. Read on! Thanks!

**takuya** – Oh. Okays … gomen ne … cringes I didn't realize you were spoken for! In that case, I'll just go attack the TV screen frozen over Takuya and Kouji. grins And yes, Takuya totally belongs to Kouji. Hear that, Kuya? You're Kouji's property! (Takuya: doesn't really mind)

**minnermon** – I will totally continue. The Plot Angels are hounding me too persistently for any other option! (they're scary!) I'm overjoyed that you liked the poem. I thought it was so very … well, cliché. I'm sure your poetry isn't bad at all! Everyone is just too modest, ne? 'Sokay if you don't know Suzy's name (I didn't either! It's Shuichon). Hope you like this chapter and keep reading!

**Cat** – Great, you think it's gettin' good! Hope this doesn't disappoint :P And the next chapter should be out pretty quickly too. In fact I have most of the basic skeletal plot mentally written. Usually I start into something with only the vaguest idea of what I'm going to do, so this should be … uh … 'specialler'?

**aishiteru ayu** – Thanks for reviewing Chapter Two too :) It's cute? Well, all's well anyways. The Kouji-touching-Takuya thing IS cute though. A minstrel is a traveling musician/storyteller/artist, all cobbled together into one. They were more common in the Middle Ages though, so you probably won't see too many wandering around. Unless street-corner singers and/or buskers count. Please review again! Thankies some more.

**Splash**– (you did say to call you 'Splash' online, in your bio, right … ?) Well, it could be dangerous to read in class if someone happens to look over your shoulder. In later chapters, anyways. :3 Sure, go ahead and use the format. I didn't realize I had a decent format O.o but why not. There does seem to be a lack of diversity in viewing habits of people that write/watch Digimon and other mainstream. But the fans of mainstream tend to be more open to new shows whereas hardcore 'serious' anime fans tend to write off mainstream (which could be utterly cute like Digimon!) right away. Just in what I've noticed, anyways

Oh and, when I read the review I was like, "Wow, 'Splash' sounds familiar." Then I realized "this is the author of Enigma and Subtle Hints!!! OH MY GOD, I GOT REVIEWED BY THE AUTHOR OF ENIGMA!" … So yeah. That was pretty cool for me. Please keep reading and reviewing. ==

And, of course, special thanks to **Ryo-chan**: After all, you practically helped me write this chapter. bows worshipfully Thank you very, very much. Everyone, nod towards Ryo-chan's general direction, because she helped make this chapter better. Really! (And I thought I was a completely helpless author … --;)

Wow … I don't think I've ever had this many reviews for anything, let alone one chapter. googly eyes Thankies, everyone! And for your troubles you get a racy image of Kouji in the shower! fangirl imagination kicks in Ok … you can all stop drooling now …

ARIGATOU, MINNA-SAN!

And of course, keep REVIEWING!!!

Domo,

Lokogato-sama

(Random stats:

Reviews: 20

Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 5.1

# words in this chapter: 5497

# paragraphs: 179)

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	5. Chapter Five

::sniffles:: Everyone's probably given up looking for updates on this by now. ::wails:: I'M SOO SOOORRRYYYY, MINNA-SAAAAANN!!!! ::cries some more:: A lot of stuff happened this summer, and I was away from home more often than not, and then I got sick, and I know it all sounds like a load of BS for excuses, but it's TRUUEEE, and too much happened, and I couldn't finish this chapter until now. GOMEN NASAI!!!!

I swear everything will come out a lot faster now, because the school year's started and during the school year I choose to slack off schoolwork and write fanfiction, and during the summer I have nothing to slack off of and … and … there was _Hikaru no Go_ to be watched! … ::sniffles:: G – gomen n-ne …

(and then at that moment the Plot Angels which until now have been harassing me mercilessly abruptly up and left me to my own devices, so I've had to laboriously outline the rest of everything because I can't rely on inspiration, and that killed me for almost a month on plot … so writer's block had to hit and hit hard too … ::sobs::)

And now, without much more whining from yours truly,

The Minstrel's Son

-- 

Chapter Five

--

"Yes! Freedom!" Takuya threw his arms up into the air and gave a shout of triumph before dropping his arms quickly to his side. "Ow. Forgot about that particular patch of sore muscle …" He groused, massaging his neck. A fat pouch of silver jingled at his waist, attached to him with a long length of rope wrapped around and around his hips.

Sweet freedom from Izumi and Asbard and of course the Elf Lord, the three people that managed to make Takuya vaguely uncomfortable- albeit in different ways.

Especially the latter, with his intense eyes that seemed to bore into his very soul ... Somehow, Takuya always felt as if each time Lord Kouji looked at him the Elf was seeing something that he himself didn't notice.

"Oh well," He said aloud. It wasn't normal or healthy to fixate on Lord Kouji like this, he told himself, "Time for distraction!"

'Distraction' consisted of the artisan's street, with its many stalls and small stores full of cheap handmade goods. He was casting about for a gift, something pretty and hopefully not to expensive to give to Mistress Dobblin, when his eye came to rest on something.

The moment he saw it, he wanted it, inexplicably and powerfully.

It was a simple brooch of delicately wrought silver, not particularly special, but almost magnetic to him. Set within the curls of the metal were two stones, fitted perfectly together as if they had been made that way.

One half was obsidian, arrestingly dark and polished to a high reflective sheen.

The other was pearl, smoothed to a flat texture rarely seen with the material.

The workmanship was undoubtedly superior, yet the ornament was somewhat understated. It wasn't something to draw attention, and there were probably hundreds of others of the same quality elsewhere in the market, but Takuya simply _wanted_ this one.

"How much?" He found himself asking the merchant, a serious-looking young man with strikingly blue eyes as piercing but not as dark as Lord Kouji's.

"For which?" The merchant replied, gesturing at the mass of jewelry spread all over the table. Dark hair fell into his eyes, which he impatiently shook out of the way.

"This one." Takuya held up the brooch. The merchant's expression changed subtly, but Takuya was unable to read it. He was certain it contained surprise and some measure of apprehension.

"Ah." He said. "I don't know the price of that one. You'll have to ask the maker." And with that the man took Takuya's arm in an almost painfully strong grip and steered him forcefully into the building behind the stall.

"What is it?"

"This young man wants to know the price of this." Said the merchant, and held up the hand in which Takuya was holding the brooch. Once again, Takuya saw that slight look of apprehension and surprise, only this time it fell over a heart-shaped face framed with long brown bangs.

"I see. Come here, boy." Takuya obeyed, irritation creeping into his mind. All he'd done was ask the price of a brooch, so what was creating this atmosphere of tension? And that aside, he was getting really tired of being called 'boy'.

"Why do you want this one?"

Takuya was so startled by the question that he didn't notice the blue-eyed man leaving. "Why?"

The other nodded and walked forward into the light. His eyes were a startling violet and one long braid trailed down his back, tied with a white and black ribbon. Something in the back of Takuya's mind twitched, something about white and black and Wanderer's colors, all in Asbard's voice, but he couldn't quite piece it together and he gave up to answer the question.

"Well, I'm not really sure. I just like it, that's all." He wasn't terribly fond of the defensive note in his voice, but he supposed that wasn't to be helped. He was too used to having done something wrong to prevent it.

"Just like it?" Asked the other, raising his eyebrows, and then chuckling. "I guess that's as good as any. Sit down." He gestured to a chair by the door. Uneasily, Takuya shifted into the chair and watched the other in trepidation. He guessed that the young man was perhaps four or five years older than Takuya himself, which was hardly enough to warrant the blatant ordering about he was receiving.

"What did I do?" He blurted out, unable to hold it in any longer. His fingers curled reflexively around the silvery brooch, his right hand with its lyre-string calluses just brushing the surface of the ivory.

Violet eyes blinked, looking slightly startled. "Do? You didn't do anything. Hold still a second," He continued, stepped forward, and with absolutely no regard towards the concept of 'personal space', brushed aside the brown hair and rested two fingers on Takuya forehead. "Let's see then …"

Takuya tried very hard to breathe quietly and not to bolt, as all his instincts screamed. The only thing that did hold him from running from the stall, still clutching the brooch, was the feeling that something was going on that he should best not interrupt. He cursed Mistress Dobblin's whacking-spoon-enforced lessons on politeness and rudeness.

Funny that when Lord Kouji had come this close to him, he hadn't really minded at all, and yet this man, who was hardly difficult to look at, caused such an uncomfortable reaction.

"Oh." Said the young man in apparent surprise. "So you've already met him, then. The light."

"Huh?" Said Takuya, showing off his brilliant conversational skills.

"Hmm." Said the other coherently. Takuya grew annoyed again, and was about to ask what in _Her'lin_ was going on when the man drew back abruptly.

"I see." A grin lit up the heart-shaped face, and Takuya mentally revised the age of the man in front of him. There was no way he was more than a year or two older than Takuya. "I suppose you want to know what's going on, and why my socially-challenged friend out front dragged you in here so unceremoniously?"

"Yes, please." Said Takuya fervently, drawing another laugh.

"And I can't even tell you too much, can I …" The other mused, settling into another chair. "Well then. I'm a Wanderer, which basically means I can tap into people's lifelines and read most things I want about them. I read your past and I've picked up on some of your future, and it would seem that you _are_ the prophesied after all, and that I _can_ make detectors if I want to."

"I'm the what?"

The bright eyes sharpened into Takuya's focus. Violet eyes … "You're the one prophesied about in - "

_and no one was around, why was he alone, and he was wailing and crying and no one was there his mother was gone and it was too hot, too hot, and everything was so bright, and suddenly the door burst open and there was this set of blue eyes tinged reddish-purple by the flames_

Takuya clutched the seat of his chair convulsively, breathing hard. There, again. It had happened last time, just after he had treated Lord Kouji, and he had passed out then because he'd had no energy left. What _was_ it? The Wanderer's eyes narrowed, and he opened his mouth, expression questioning.

"What - "

"Boy." The blue-eyed man had suddenly reappeared in the doorway. "Someone's out there asking for you. Are you done?" This last was directed at the Wanderer, who frowned.

"Not really. Can it wait?"

"It's the _Elf Lord_." The man said, with almost sarcastic emphasis on 'Elf Lord'.

"Oh, Oracle's damnation." Takuya's mind noted, _Kynian1 accent_.

At which point Lord Kouji came storming into the room, looking as if he was in a fine temper and highly stressed. Evidently, not everyone had had the chance Takuya had to relax and take a break. "Takuya!" He said sharply. "I need to talk to you."

Somewhere in Takuya's very confused mind he registered that the Elf Lord had called him by name again. This realization was followed by an entirely involuntary mental _Yay!_ Takuya flushed slightly.

_'Shut up, mind, shut up!'_

"Ah. My Lord." Said the Wanderer, standing smoothly and bowing slightly. Lord Kouji caught sight of the black and white tie and looked vaguely startled before returning the bow with a curt nod of the head. The Wanderer turned to Takuya and smiled again. "Since you must be gone, I'll just tell you now – that brooch will protect you provided something is added to it."

"What?" Takuya asked, but was ignored, whether because the Wanderer was hurrying, or because it came out oddly shaped due to the fact that the Elf Lord was now bodily dragging Takuya from the room. Randomly and quite inappropriately, Takuya thought that Mistress Dobblin and her spoon should come and teach Lord Kouji etiquette.

"And remember that you must choose either light or dark, and that the world of tomorrow is yours to decide - "

"Wait! What about the brooch - " Takuya tried. In return for his efforts, he got a faint laugh and what sounded like a "Have it for free" before he found himself plunked upon a horse and following an extremely irritated Lord Kouji out of the marketplace. In the back of his mind, he registered how the townspeople moved out of their way in an almost bored fashion, as if two people charging through a crowded square on horseback was common occurrence in Astaria. Then again, with his knowledge of the city, it might well be.

Meanwhile, the two youths watched the two figures charge down the street.

"Hn. Not exactly socially adept, is the young Lord?" The dark-haired one asked.

"Look who's talking," The Wanderer laughed. "Now get back into that stall and work, boy."

"What am I, your slave now?" Grumbled his companion. The heart-shaped face broke into another grin and the young man leaned over and bit the ear half-hidden by dark bangs.

"Yes, and that's your brand. Now go work!"

--

A/N: Yes, that was a Gundam Wing cameo. It exists partly because I wanted it to, and partly because I couldn't find another Digimon character(!) that I hadn't already placed. 1x2x1 rocks!

--

"What was that for?" Takuya yelled up to the Elf Lord. They were still thundering madly through the streets, although since they had turned into a lesser populated area Takuya was less distracted by the necessity of steering the horse around sluggishly moving shoppers.

"I said I needed to talk to you!" Lord Kouji's words reached him much more easily than the other way around, as he was in front and his words were whipped back by the wind to Takuya.

"Then what was with the dragging thing?" Takuya hollered.

There was a pause, and then Lord Kouji called back, "It's been a stressful day!" Takuya glared at the black-clad back before him.

_'Surely it wasn't stressful enough to require literally dragging me from the middle of a public store and then riding through throngs of innocent bystanders?' _He thought grumpily. Up ahead, Lord Kouji was muttering to himself, and apparently leading them into a dead end. _'What the heck?'_

Unexpectedly, the Lord disappeared. Through the brick wall. Takuya gaped, and in that moment of laxity forgot to rein in his horse. He winced as the wall rushed closer and closer and -

Fwoosh.

With a not entirely unpleasant feeling of emerging from lukewarm water, Takuya and the horse popped out of the other side of the wall, and into verdant forest. Takuya stared blankly.

"O … kay … that's, well, different." He remarked, still not entirely registering what was going on. Calmly, he sat and waited for his mind to catch up with his body. There was definitely _some_ sort of reaction he was supposed to have to running through a solid wall without any ill effects. "_What _just happened?!"

Ah, there it was.

Lord Kouji reined in and turned sharply. "Good, the wards are up. I'll have to remember to up Joe's pay."

Takuya blinked. "Wait, you mean those weren't _assured_ of operation?!" He sputtered. This – this – this madman had just led him into a _wall_ and hadn't even known if it was _working_! And that aside, walls weren't _supposed_ to _do_ anything beyond _exist _in a properly wall-like fashion, and thinking in _italics _was a very, _very _bad thing, and everything was Lord Kouji's fault!

The Lord Kouji in question simply shrugged at Takuya's indignation. "Even if they hadn't worked, nothing much would have happened. You'd be surprised at how little injury is incurred whilst riding into walls."

Takuya floundered speechlessly for a few moments, and finally just gave up on the insane Elf. "What was it, anyway?" He asked tiredly. Maybe the Elf Lord would stop surprising – or shocking, rather – him someday. Until then, he supposed he would have to deal with it.

"That was a wall-ward." Lord Kouji said. "It's an illusion set on certain parts of the city, and it's there to protect the Council building here in Astaria."

Takuya's ears perked. The Council building was notoriously magically protected and difficult to find. If the rumors ran true, then there hadn't been anything resembling a robbery in the Astarian Council for twenty-five years.

"Basically, we enchant the wall so it appears normal, but becomes a portal which takes you to a certain spot in the Council area. Those that are required to go to the actual Council buildings are informed of the locations, and they simply go to whichever one takes them closest to where they want to go. Of course, there is a pesky issue of commoners wandering in by mistake, but we've pretty much prevented that by putting them in areas most people don't go."

Takuya slowly absorbed the information as they rode slowly through the trees. Lord Kouji graciously allowed him the time to catch up with his thought. Remembering something, Takuya asked, "Why were you so eager to get out of the marketplace?"

'_I thought he'd_ _be the type to enjoy lots of attention from the 'common mob'.'_

"Do you have any idea what they all want to say to me? All anyone has is complaints about how the city or the realm is being run." Lord Kouji said in a distinctly disgruntled sort of tone.

A gap in the trees appeared, and Takuya saw a flash of a white edge just beyond it. Excitement grew in him – it was rare that commoners got to see the Council buildings, and minstrels virtually never ever got near them. Those that traveled a great deal, such as and especially musicians, were in danger of revealing secrets that probably should not be shared amongst foreigners.

Meanwhile, Lord Kouji was still doing something rather closely related to grumbling, although no matter how hard he tried, Takuya could not quite associate the word 'grumbling' with 'Lord Kouji'.

"… and the shoppers find the bakers' and butchers' prices too high, and the bakers and butchers find the farmer's prices too high, and the mills find the mill prices too low, and the farmers find the mill prices too high, the butchers' prices too low, and the cost of seeds and stock exorbitant, and they all seem to think they're the only ones in the world with an grievance of this magnitude. As if the government controlled prices and markets or something."

"Don't you?" Takuya asked, surprised.

"Of course not." Lord Kouji snapped. "Market prices and currency fluctuations are purely responses to the buying and selling habits of the common people. It isn't as though we in the Council can wave our hands and say, 'let there be inflation!' and lo and behold, there be inflation."

Takuya failed to suppress a snicker at the mental image of a Council of grave, old, and serious fat men (and Lord Kouji, who was neither old nor fat, and was in fact quite slender and pretty, and Takuya did _not_ just think that), waving their arms in unison and chanting the phrase 'let there be inflation!' and a giant balloon with a huge Ronis2 sign on it blowing up slowly.

Takuya could have sworn Lord Kouji's mouth quirked just now, but it was gone so quickly that he could very well have imagined it.

"Well, the government sets up things like tariffs and trade regulations, doesn't it?" Takuya argued. "It can't just say, 'do this', and then let the people off to their own devices."

"Tariffs and trade regulations are caused more often than not by border arguments and skirmishes between the angry farmers on the one side of the River Ryoun3 and the angry farmers on the other side. It makes it difficult to perpetrate friendly relations."

"The people aren't _stopping_ the government from having friendly relations with the other realms. Shouldn't the government be responsible for settling the issues at the border?"

"Despite the treaty of peace, the people of each realm still despise each other for no apparent reason. Settling each and every little village war would take far too much time and resources for it to be worth anything."

Unfortunately, just as Takuya was warming up to a lively debate over the responsibilities of the government versus the responsibilities of the people, a rhythmic thudding was heard from the nearing gap and a voice cried out, rather breathlessly, "Halt, who goes there?"

Takuya swore mentally. Just when he had gotten into a vaguely serious conversation with the Elf Lord, _something _just had to interrupt.

"It's me." Lord Kouji said. "Kouji. Who else would it be?"

His brow furrowed slightly as his face, which had shown something akin to anger and a sort of fierce joy in arguing, faded into the pale, impassive mask of usual. Takuya realized suddenly that there was another, entirely likeable Lord Kouji under the façade, and then felt stupid for not seeing it before. How could he not have noticed? _This _Lord Kouji was all too easy to fall for.

Not that he was falling for anyone or anything, fluttery floating happiness be damned.

"My Lord!" The voice seemed startled, and then a horse appeared. More importantly, there was upon the horse a hassled-looking young Elf girl, with startlingly violet eyes and reddish-orange hair, streaked liberally with dark gold. "I wasn't expecting you from this entrance. And who's this?" She asked, eyeing Takuya suspiciously. Takuya took this moment to note that she happened to carry a long sharp sword by her side.

"I did say I _wasn't _planning on using the front entrance, Ruki." Takuya looked at the Elf Lord again. Although it had not returned to its slightly more emotional state of previously, he seemed more relaxed than usual. Perhaps this Ruki was a friend of his?

"Ah. Apologies, my Lord."

"Kouji," Lord Kouji said. "You _are_ from an Elfish family of proud lineage, are you not?"

"But I'm still lower class than you, and I am _merely_ your bodyguard." Ruki said stiffly, looking as if this was a subject she would rather not touch. "If you will please, my Lord, I will refrain from breaking the standards of courtesy so well upheld by the fine people of this Council." Takuya tried hard, but could not prove the feeling that she was being sarcastic beyond some sort of natural intuition. Her inflection held no clues. Were all Elves like this?

Lord Kouji grunted in a vague sort of disagreement. "Fine. Do as you will. Has the Centris delegate arrived yet?"

Takuya's ears perked. Wanting to rejoin the conversation, he asked, "Has Lord Junpei not arrived yet? We heard that he left some days before us, and we are here already."

The word had the desired effect. Perhaps a touch too much. Both the Elf Lord and – Ruki, he remembered – wheeled on him.

"You've heard of the Centris delegate?" Ruki demanded. "Where is he? When was he supposed to arrive? What route was he taking?"

"I -" Takuya stammered. "I really don't know. We didn't follow him that closely."

Lord Kouji made a face. "The Centris delegate was expected several days earlier," He informed Takuya. "As of now, we have neither received him nor heard word of him. We fear that he may have been attacked, and after the attack upon our own party, that concern seems even more viable." At the mention of the attack, Ruki muttered something that may have been, 'incompetent blondes that can't protect one Elf Lord', and Lord Kouji's lip twitched.

Takuya was not jealous in the least. Of course not.

"_Were_ there border troubles?" Lord Kouji suddenly inquired.

"Beyond you?" Takuya was startled into saying, without much thinking. Ruki looked threatening, but Lord Kouji merely looked amused. "Well, no. The actual Centris-Kananth border was just fine. We got through with no problems."

"I see." Lord Kouji appeared to be undergoing some important deliberation. "The Council meeting begins in barely half and hour. There is still no word of the Centris delegate, intrepid young Lord Junpei -" Which Takuya thought was rich, since the Elf Lord could hardly be much older than Takuya himself, and Lord Junpei was, well, older – "And if he does not show up, the delicate balances of our cheerful and lovely delegates will be dead."

Ruki snorted. "Stupid politicians," She stated rather than commented, ignoring the fact that the one she was protecting was in fact a politician as well.

"However, we do have someone from Centris present." Lord Kouji paused, possibly for effect.

"Who?" Takuya asked, rather ruining the effect. "None of the other Elf Lords left Centris to our knowledge, and the minstrel's information network is extensive, to say the least."

Ruki blinked. "You are jesting, my Lord?"

"Not at all."

"… You do realize Joe will likely suffer premature death from extensive heart and lung failure."

"That is unfortunate. We may need to contact his family. Put him on that, will you? He _is_ the secretary."

"… are you quite mad, My Lord?"

"Quite probably. We have no alternative."

Takuya watched this exchange in a bemused manner. "Er, sorry to interrupt and all, but what's going on? Who's going to take Lord Junpei's place at the Council?"

Lord Kouji smirked rather grimly, and still managed to look handsome. In fact, the determined and almost cruel look on his face simply rendered the delicately cut features even more devastating than usual. Takuya blinked.

"You."

--

Takuya thought in a dazed sort of way, _'Joe's not the one that's going to have a heart attack. I am. What does the Lord want me to _say_ in front of a bunch of politicians? I'm a minstrel, for Der'nath's sake! I _sing_ better than I talk!'_

He tugged uncomfortably at the neck and sleeves of his robes. They were of a very fine material, and looked horrifically expensive. This meant that Takuya's skin, which was used to rough, cheap fabrics, felt oddly naked with the smooth cloth sliding silkily against it. He felt indecent. Whenever the Elf Lord talked to him, he jumped, blushed, and felt even more indecent.

"Lady Miyako is the main delegate from Sarin. She'll talk a lot, because she is from Sarin, and she'll probably be furious that the official Centris delegate isn't present and call it disrespect of the Council and try to declare war on Centris. Sarin is a manufacturing country; a war would be good for their currently faltering economy. Whatever you do, don't say anything resembling 'ugly woman' in front of her, because she takes it as a personal insult. When the refreshments are passed around, make sure she gets hers first before you try to take any for yourself, or you'll be subjected to a long lecture about why and how women should be served first."

Takuya tried to carve this into his head, and mostly failed because he was trying to note down the Kumentongue words in figured bass, which didn't particularly work. "Er."

"Lord Kazu and Lord Kenta are from Kynia. Kynia is currently suffering severe flooding and their main crop of featherwheat is mostly destroyed this year. They're trying to blame it on Kyo'nis irregularities and failing, and they declare that they have the Oracle's backing. Don't mention anything about the migratory flow to Centris and Sarin from Kynia; Kynians are touchy on that subject right now. Oh, and don't mention food to those two, because then they can't concentrate on anything productive until their jaws are clamped around it. I'm obviously the delegate from Kananth, and you're going to tell us _everything_ you know and have heard about Centris in your minstrel network."

"Er."

"Don't raise your hand or wave it or anything, if you have something to say wait until whoever's speaking is finished and touch the bell, so everyone can look at you. This prevents mass chaos. Don't take too much of the refreshments, that happens surreptitiously after the official meeting. Don't tug on your collar like that."

"Er. Oh." Takuya hastily removed his hands from his collar and stuck them into his wide sleeves. The material was silky and a rich, dark red embroidered with gold dragons, which in his opinion looked awful on him, but the maid had declared made him look wonderful (something about contrast and matching and bringing out the reddish tint in his eyes), and Lord Kouji appeared to have approved, at any rate.

Speaking of Lord Kouji, he had stopped before a door and was about to open it when he seemed to finally notice Takuya for the first time. He sighed.

So maybe he hadn't been approved after all.

"Red," He muttered, and Takuya couldn't entirely tell if he was pleased with the choice or not. The Lord was wearing robes of a similar cut, flowing to the ground and well-fitting, but his were a deep blue that almost matched his eyes, with delicate designs hinting at canines delicately picked out in silvery-blue thread.

Lord Kouji was looking him critically up and down, and Takuya had _thought_ he had the blushing thing down.

"Repeat what I said." Lord Kouji said sharply, all of a sudden.

"Er," Takuya stammered for a second, trying to decipher the figured bass markings in his head. "Lady Miyako from Sarin. Don't take food from her and don't call her ugly. Lord Kazu and – and Kenta from Kynia. Don't give food to them." Takuya blinked, waiting for another line to translate, and breaking into Mistress Dobblin's Spoon Etiquette lessons as a backup, "Er, don't talk unless talken – er, spoken to, don't raise my hand and wave, don't take too much food until after the meeting – er – I – ah – the bell -"

The reason for this sudden break in coherence was due to the fact that Lord Kouji was hurriedly straightening clothes, refolding folds, and adjusting hair. More importantly, adjusting Takuya's clothes and hair. Delicate, pale fingers ghosted across his skin where they accidentally touched and every time he felt the cool sensation a tingle ran down his spine. When finally Lord Kouji rested his hands gently on the minstrel's jaw and tilted his face back and forth, examining his head for unruliness, it felt as though his entire body was being pricked with pins.

Not exactly unpleasant, that.

Except he was blushing like he was going to explode any minute.

"You'll do." Lord Kouji said, and unexpectedly smirked in a satisfied sort of way. "Hold your head higher. Don't blink so much. Don't look down, as a representative of your realm you must show all the pride of your country and stand up for its best interests."

"Wait, isn't it the best interests of Shinsu?" Takuya asked, perhaps naively.

"Shinsu?" Lord Kouji's eyebrow arched elegantly, and Takuya blushed for no apparent reason. "I haven't heard that word from a delegate since – hmm. Ever. Shinsu is outside of the deal, Takuya, and if you want Centris to get _anything_, you'll think only for it and nothing and no one else."

"Oh," Said Takuya, thinking along the lines of, _'He said my name again, yay!'_ Lord Kouji looked worn for a second.

"It's all corruption and grab what you can get." He said softly. "Nothing like the peace treaty and the Council was meant to be."

Takuya wanted Lord Kouji to laugh. He didn't know why, but he needed Lord Kouji to laugh. Something about the unexpected calmness was almost heartbreakingly sad, and if he had had his lute with him he would have suffered the irresistible urge to strike a g minor chord. As he did not have his lute at the moment, he could only wish he did, and make feeble puns.

"Maybe we need some good counsel," He said hopefully. After a moment of Lord Kouji's blank stare, Takuya could only wish that the word 'pun' had never been introduced into his vocabulary.

Except the corner of the Elf Lord's mouth quirked a touch before his eyes iced over and he pushed open the door to the room. He spoke, voice commanding and arresting:

"Kouji of Ii'chii present at Council. I speak for my realm, Kananth, and enter with naught but Shinsu in my heart, mind, and hands. Presented to you herewith, Takuya of Cadnum. He speaks for his realm, Centris, and enters with naught but Shinsu in his heart, mind, and hands."

Takuya felt like he ought to say something, but had absolutely no clue what to say. When the other Councilors – an Elf with long purplish hair surrounded by a swathe of servants, two Elves who broke off their greedy eyeing of the food table long enough to take notice of Takuya, and numerous other intimidating personages – all nodded in their general direction (some smiled; most didn't), he nodded furiously back.

The only difference between this exchange of greetings was that the Councilors were nodding "Hello, we were here already and you are late but we tolerate this because you are locals," Lord Kouji was nodding "I _am _the Elf Lord here and _I_ shall determine what is late and what is early and if I say I am two days early you will do nothing but agree," and Takuya was nodding "I don't know what's going on, and the etiquette of nodding was not in Mistress Dobblin's repertoire."

It looked to be a Council with a rather difficult-to-surmount language barrier.

Thus, they all settled in for a long, long, session.

--

A/N: Oh m'god I am so dead right now. Dead tired. Yes. So I'm going to say "Screw the Council!" and if you have complaints, I'll do my best to put that up some other time, but right now I'm just trying to get on with the plot already. Sincere apologies - Loko

--

Takuya crunched cheerfully on a biscuit purloined from the Council and merrily bounced a few steps ahead of Lord Kouji. They exited the Council land the same way they entered, albeit without the entire riding-at-breakneck-speeds thing. He hadn't expected everything to be quite so simple. All he'd really had to do was say "Yes," "No," and "What about Centris?" The other Councilors had pretty much done his job for him.

There had been one interruption, but it was only a message for Lord Kouji and not Takuya's fault, which meant that Takuya had pretty much forgotten about its existence.

"That was better than I had hoped," He said, turning around to face the Elf Lord. The smooth meeting had done much to raise his spirits, and he was even willing to be friendly to the surly Elf Lord. Said surly Elf Lord was looking distinctly surlier than usual, though, for reasons beyond Takuya's comprehension. "What's with the horse face?"

Lord Kouji looked appalled. Takuya smothered a giggle.

"It's a Centris saying." He explained. "It means you have a sort of annoyed expression. You know, where all your features are pulling down." He made a vague gesture before his own face. Lord Kouji raised an eyebrow.

"What would it matter to you that I have a 'horse face', as you so elegantly put it?"

"Well, for one thing, your horse-facedness is a bad sign for innocent passerby. For another, you don't look half as good when you're pulling a long face." Well, that slipped out in an unexpected sort of way. Takuya felt his face flame and quickly turned around on the pretext of actually watching where he was stepping. Sadly, even though he could not see the Elf Lord's face (although he was sure that damned raised eyebrow was there), he could hear the amused tone in his voice when he spoke.

Takuya wondered how it was that in the less than three days he'd known Lord Kouji, he'd already come to recognize the tones and nuances of his voice and expression.

"It was a good meeting, I suppose. No one jumped anyone else," The Elf mused. "And Lady Miyako kept her tongue under leash. But then there is this missive, and I really don't want to think about why there is a message from Kulodis. Those meddling Elves always want to stick their age-old, fine-white hands into the entire delicately balanced political mess of Shinsu."

Takuya blinked. "Aren't you from Kulodis?" He asked. "I mean, pure-bloods don't usually come from anywhere else these days, and a Zenith Elf ruling Astaria would have a very hard time."

Lord Kouji snorted. "I have a hard enough time as it is, even coming from Kulodis. And coming from Kulodis, I know exactly how those Elves work and exactly why not to follow their 'advice'. Just because one comes from a place does not mean one must always show loyalty to that place."

"Ah." Said Takuya. They had turned into yet another deserted alleyway. In the hasty ride to the Council, Takuya hadn't noticed how abandoned certain parts of Astaria had become as people had begun to move out of the overcrowded and aging capitol into smaller, flourishing cities. A fine mist of rain began, and ominous rumbles above hinted at a heavier shower in a matter of minutes.

Lord Kouji was eyeing the derelict buildings about them with distaste. "People move out of Astaria with no regard as to what they or we are going to do with their leftover trash." He muttered. "What are we supposed to do about these abandoned buildings? Make a giant bonfire and dance around it for the winter solstice? They could at least make arrangements for their destruction or refurbishment."

Takuya shrugged. "It's a lot of effort to move from one place to another. They're probably too caught up with moving themselves to worry about the buildings they leave behind. Once you leave a place, it's just a house, not a home, and they have no reason to take care of it."

The Elf Lord looked surprised for a second. "You have a point." He said. Takuya grinned as the rain began to fall in earnest.

"Want to run?" He said, feeling the sensation of recklessness rise up in him the way being out in a thunderstorm always did. Lord Kouji looked bemused. "Through the rain," Takuya elaborated. "So we get soaking wet and look like drunkards running amok in the streets. We can dance."

Lord Kouji looked torn between being righteously scandalized and thoroughly amused. Much to Takuya's astonishment, the Elf settled for the latter. He really _was_ terribly handsome when he smiled.

"I'll run if you run," The Elf Lord said, grinning a little madly. Takuya swallowed. The Elf Lord had perhaps had too much to drink and was going mad. If so, then Elves really went insane quite beautifully. "Or shall I race you?"

"I'll win." Takuya countered. "Sure you want to try it?"

"You? Win?" Lord Kouji said, looking indignant. "I'd beat you any day, Half-Elf."

"I have more physical experience than you." Takuya smirked. Of this he was sure. The Elf Lord looked very nearly malnourished, and Takuya was fit and in fighting spirits after having been fed well and exercised for all his sixteen years.

Lord Kouji raised his eyebrow, still with that entirely too jumpable expression of slight crossness on his face. "You're on. What are you betting?"

"If I win," Takuya thought for a second. "I get to call you 'Kouji' without the honorific."

The Elf looked horrified, but then seemed to remember that it was unlikely Takuya would win. He said, "If I win, you have to become my servant for the week."

"Pfft," Takuya said dismissively. "How childish. Sure, whatever."

Lord Kouji looked unbelievably stunning when he was angry like that. "I'm starting," He said suddenly with no warning, and took off. Takuya stared blankly for a moment before his senses caught up with him and he was racing like mad as well.

"I'm gaining on you!" He bellowed at the rapidly nearing cloak of the Elf Lord. Lord Kouji took a look behind him and smirked.

"That's what you think," He said cheerfully, and put on an extra burst of speed. Takuya grinned and raised his own pace a notch, slowly but surely leveling with the slight figure of the Elf Lord. Lord Kouji looked behind him and had enough time to manage a startled expression before Takuya jumped, tackling the Elf Lord to the ground and grinning. Lord Kouji made an unexpectedly sexy sound of shock as he hit the ground, and Takuya had to force down all his instincts that screamed 'What would Izumi do?! Well, _do it!_'

"I'm gaining on you," He hissed into the Elf Lord's pointed ear. "And you can't catch up if you're on the ground."

The rain pelted their clothes and made the dirt and Lady-knows-what sort of filth stick to them, but both Takuya and the Elf Lord were grinning maniacally as Takuya leapt up – the contact with pulsing, warm, and most importantly _wet_ Elf Lord was doing decidedly unhealthy things to his constitution – and ran ahead towards the opening at the end of the alleyway.

Lord Kouji jumped from where he had been lying in the mud and tried in vain to catch Takuya, but Takuya had gotten a head start and was sprinting as fast as his legs would allow (which was quite fast; he had participated in the yearly races in Cadnum and won a fair many of them). The Elf growled as it became apparent that he would lose, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Well, he could probably cheat, but that was terribly uncouth. What could he do but protest weakly as a beaming Takuya bore down on him from the end of the alley, shouting about his win?

"I win, _Kouji_." Takuya said smugly. "Thought you had it in the bag, didn't you?"

"You jumped me!"

"When did you say I couldn't?"

"I – well, it's against all rules!"

"What rules? I thought we were having a no-holds-barred race!"

"When did we say that?"

"When did we say we weren't, _Kouji_?"

Takuya was imagining things and the Elf Lord was only red from the energetic running and the cold of the rain.

"I can't believe you," Kouji finally said. "What is the public going to do when they discover a lowly minstrel is calling me by my name for some foolish bet I made?"

"They'll probably relate to you more." Takuya said with a wide smile. Kouji's apparent lack of inhibition – or at least the lessening of the Elf's prudishness and the show of sudden youth – had inspired Takuya's own loss of decorum. "We'll all looooooove you …" He began to mockingly croon an awful song popular in Centris nearly a decade ago. Much to his surprise, Kouji shook his head as if giving up all pretense of propriety and joined in.

"You'll be famous in all the world …" The Elf's voice was low and just resonant enough to send shivers down Takuya's spine. They continued, Takuya breaking into harmony as Kouji continued the melody line:

"We'll all looooooooove you,

You'll be famous in all the world,

If you looooooooove me!

I'll help you rule the world,

Nothing would tear me from your side,

Life would be just perfect,

If you love me with all your heart!"

Somewhere in the line of 'I'll help you rule the world' Takuya grabbed the Elf Lord's hands, which were slender and smooth and unbelievably pale, and they began to spin madly in the pouring rain. The fine silken robes Kouji wore became plastered to the contours of his body, and Takuya tried very hard to ignore the fine sharp lines of thin torso and the smooth tapering of a well-shaped thigh. To distract himself, he began to bawl the chorus again:

"We'll all looooooooove you!"

"Um … my Lord?"

Kouji froze and snatched his hands back from Takuya's grasp, looking equal parts embarrassed and furious at having been caught in such a questionable situation. When the voice turned out to belong to Ruki, followed by Lieutenant Yamato, he calmed down somewhat. Only somewhat.

"What is it?" He snapped. Obviously, when humiliated the Elf Lord resorted to being even more crabby than usual. Takuya resisted the urge to smirk at the display.

'So he's not all ice and holier-than-thou … I like this. It'll be fun to get to know him …' 

"The messengers have come. They have news of Lord Junpei," Ruki said.

"I see." Kouji was immediately businesslike as he strode out of the alley to meet two cloaked figures that had hesitantly made their way in. "Forgive the commotion previous. My – friend here was rather excited."

"Me?" Takuya blurted, but was stopped by three threatening glares and at least one motion towards sword in his direction. He nodded grudgingly. The taller of the two Elves smirked, but wisely refrained from comment.

"What do you know of Lord Junpei? Why was he unable to attend the Council?" Kouji queried, every inch the Elf Lord, even caked with mud.

The shorter of the strangers stepped forward tentatively. "My Lord, they were stopped by a patrol of Elves from Kulodis mountain."

Disbelief followed immediately by anger flashed in Kouji's eyes. "_Kulodis_ sent a patrol to detain the representative? What do you mean? Explain yourself immediately!"

The messenger cowered against the wrath of the Elf Lord, voice trembling. Takuya watched, torn between pity for the boy and laughter at Kouji's anger. "Please, my Lord, that's what the message was from their leader. The Elves of Kulodis Mountain sent a detachment to prevent the proper representative from Centris from entering Kananth and Astaria." He reached into his cloak and pulled out a tightly rolled piece of paper. "And also this. I was told to give it to Lord Kouji of Ii'chi personally, and no one else."

Kouji accepted it suspiciously. "What's Kulodis up to?" He muttered. "Your name, messenger?"

"Takato, my Lord." He said nervously. "From Sarin."

Lord Kouji's head snapped up. "What's a _Sarin _messenger doing delivering messages for Kulodis Elves? Hasn't Zenith declared estrangement from Kulodis?"

"Well, it revoked that about a week ago." Another voice spoke up, and everyone looked up to notice the other messenger. "We were originally sent to deliver that message but we were re-routed, as one might say, and told to bring this one instead, so here we are." Scrutinizing brown eyes looked the wet Kouji up and down. Takuya felt irrationally annoyed. "So you're the famous Lord Kouji. Don't look much like reputation suggests, no?"

Ruki and Yamato stepped forward, half-unsheathing swords. "Mind how you speak to the Lord, stranger." Ruki said evenly. To Takuya's surprise, however, Lord Kouji waved both away and looked straight at the man standing there.

"Your reputation is as over-flowered as mine, Lord Ryo of Zenarik."4

Lord Ryo snorted, and the tension melted. A friendly smile flowed over his face, which transformed immediately from mistrustful to cheerful. "Over-flowered my foot. How go you, Astaria?"

"Passably. And you, Zenarik?" Kouji replied. Takuya realized the marks of old acquaintances and felt jealous. It was ridiculous, really. What did he have to be jealous about? Not the Elf Lord's attention, certainly. Of course not.

"Well, well, as well as one _can_ go with an Elf Mountain breathing down one's back. But you'd know all about that, right, Astaria?" Lord Ryo grinned dangerously. At this point, an unusually large raindrop decided to make itself known by splashing itself onto Kouji's nose, and the Elf Lord jumped. Takuya resisted the urge to squeal _'Oh, how _cute like some infatuated town girl.

"Perhaps we should get out of the rain," Lieutenant Yamato suggested delicately. "My Lords are soaking wet, and I believe the rest of us are rather the same way." The unstated but understood message was, _'Lord Kouji needs to change into something not mud-splattered so he can be presentable for a foreign Elf Lord.'_

_  
_

"But of course," Said Lord Ryo graciously. "I apologize for not thinking of that straightaway. It has been some time since last we met, Astaria, and I declare that we do need to catch up on some politics."

"Please, no." Kouji said, his lip curling in distaste. "I've had my fill of greedy politicians. If, however, you feel greedy for some nourishment, Ii'chi produces tolerable cuisine."

"Oh, please, Astaria. You dishonor your cooks and your own taste in food by saying so." Takuya managed to pinpoint the feeling of vague unease he had held from the beginning as he realized that not only were Kouji and the other Elf Lord old acquaintances, but to an extent old rivals on friendly relations, albeit tentative and delicate ones.

"Well, shall we proceed?" Lieutenant Yamato asked, stepping forward to illustrate his point. Ruki followed, shooting a poorly disguised glare at Lord Ryo who merely grinned back.

"Onward to Ii'chi, then."

Takuya shrugged and decided to follow along. Not because he wanted to follow Kouji, of course. Because his clothes and stuff were there. Of course. Asbard. He had no reason whatsoever to be following the Elf Lord … Takuya sighed and gave up trying to justify himself. Damn Izumi.

--

"I see," Said Izumi, looking skeptical. "You fell in the mud and got no more than your knees and arms muddied?"

"Yes." Takuya ground out for the fifth or sixth time. "I tripped."

"Right." Izumi said, still unbelieving. Takuya groaned and threw a dirty shirt at her, which was avoided with ease.

"What are you doing here anyway?" He demanded. "Why are you in my room while I'm changing? And where's Asbard?"

"He left."

"Oh," Said Takuya, not quite absorbing the information. "When will he be back?"

"He left for Cadnum."

"I see," Said Takuya, who didn't really see at all. He finished changing into dry clothes and came out from behind a screen, toweling his hair roughly so it stood up in uneven spikes at the top and slightly curly at the bottom. "When was that?"

"Early today. He got a message and left just after you disappeared."

"… I see." Takuya sat down at the desk, noting the piece of paper sitting on it, scrawled over in Asbard's clear, rough hand. A moment later, though – "_What? _He just up and _left_? Without me? Without even waiting to _tell _me?"

"That's what I've been trying to say," Izumi started patiently.

"What kind of pathetic guardian _is_ he? Leaving his charge behind in a huge city I've never been to and have been lost in twice today, a psychotic Elf-girl and a split personality Elf Lord?"

"A good one," Izumi smirked. "He seems to have found out exactly why you want to stay."

"What? _What?_"

A few moments later, when Takuya's voice had dropped down a few notches and Lord Ryo and Kouji couldn't hear him from the other end of the estate anymore, Izumi attempted to explain again.

"He said he had an urgent message and had to return to Cadnum immediately. He sends his regrets that he couldn't take you sightseeing, if that helps any." Izumi said, settling comfortably onto the floor, slender legs crossed neatly. Her blonde hair shone prettily in the dusky light, yet Takuya couldn't help but compare the bright halo of whitish light to the way Kouji's hair seemed to absorb light for its own and emanate it back out towards the world. Much like the eyes that pulled Takuya into their depths, drowning …

Takuya blinked, hard. Thinking of the Elf Lord as 'Kouji' brought the aloof personality ten times closer, and subsequently Takuya seemed to have Elf on his mind. Repeatedly. Constantly. All the time. In not entirely platonic ways.

_'Bad mind. Bad!' _

"Takuya, are you listening?" Izumi's voice rudely intruded on his scolding of his own mind.

"No," He said defensively. Disagreeing, he had discovered, was the best way to respond to something one had not been paying attention to. It kept him out of all sorts of awful things like doing massive piles of laundry and mucking out the stables. The Elf sighed.

"I was _asking _you why he had to leave so quickly," She said.

"How should I know?" Takuya said indignantly. "You're the one he seemed to want to speak to the most!"

"It's on the paper on the table," Izumi said in a tone usually reserved for children under the age of six and people in mental institutions. "See the letter? See how it's addressed _'to Takuya'_? That generally means that it is a letter written to _you_, Takuya."

"Shut up." Takuya muttered. "I'm distracted."

"Yes, you certainly are!" Izumi said cheerily. "Now read the letter already!"

Takuya grumbled incoherently and picked up the letter, which consisted of a few uneven lines and a quick signoff designating the writer as, indeed, his guardian. He read aloud, "_Takuya – The mistress is sick, I found a new medicine which is supposed to cure the trouble so I'm cutting back to Cadnum. Be back soon as I can, but you can go ahead anywhere I you want, just leave word somewhere. Sorry I had to leave so quickly, but then you're probably happy about that, eh? – Asbard._"

"Eh," Said Takuya nonchalantly. Now that the news had been absorbed, he had settled into that sense of _'there's nothing I can do about it' _and decided to go with deliberately casual acceptance. Plus it meant he was free to spend the pile of money Asbard was sure to have forgotten in some corner of their room. "Gullible man. Mistress Dobblin's never any sicker than she needs to be to get you to do something for her."

Izumi giggled. "Like you."

Takuya flushed, retorting, "As if! I've never faked sickness, thank you very much!"

"Except when you didn't want to go to school."

"Well, besides that. And that was only once or twice, anyway."

"And when you didn't want to help out with the farmers."

"And that. Still not much."

"When there was carrying to be done at festivals."

"Yes, well …"

"And work to be done at school, sweeping for the town hall, reading to the sick people …"

"I get your point!" Takuya glared unsuccessfully.

"Quite the slacker, aren't we?" Another voice, entirely unexpected, intruded on the proceedings. Takuya jumped.

"Kouji!" Izumi tried to kick him but found him just out of reach.

"_Takuya!_" She scolded, scandalized. "Show some respect!"

"It's all right, Izumi," The Elf said tiredly. "I lost a bet. Just don't let it spread about the Guard."

"Of – of course not." Izumi eyed Takuya both accusingly and questioningly, and he tried his best to look innocent. "What's the matter, my Lord? You look concerned, if you pardon my personal observation."

"Pfft." The Lord made a dismissive noise and waved his hand indifferently. Takuya suffered déjà vu. "I'm not the one should be concerned." He turned to stare Takuya straight in the eye, causing the boy to squirm uncomfortably and resist the urge to start tugging on the end of his shirt, a nervous habit acquired years ago when he had to recite in school.

"What did I do?" He asked apprehensively.

"That's what I'd like to know." The eyebrow was raised, and Takuya frowned. Before he could speak, though, Kouji continued. "You've been summoned by Kulodis. This would mean they want you to do something for them, they have seen fit to punish you for some great, horrific crime you've committed whilst in my jurisdiction, or they want to train you. The latter is an honor. The others are not. Sadly, I have to accompany you. They seem to want me as well."

Takuya blinked.

Izumi blinked.

Kouji waited patiently for everyone to gather this information, interpret it, and stop blinking.

"Wait, _Kulodis?_" Izumi managed, at the same time Takuya said, "_Why_?"

Kouji shrugged. "I have no idea. I do know, however, that we are leaving tomorrow. I'd best begin packing if I were you, Takuya. And you, Izumi. Yamato is, of course, insisting that the entire Elf Guard tag along, although what need I have of Elven guards on an Elf Mountain is beyond me … And now, I have other things to attend to, so I must take my leave."

"Of course," Izumi said automatically. Takuya gaped.

When the door shut behind the Elf Lord, Takuya stared blankly at the window.

"Kulodis …" He moaned. "I'm so, so, so, so, so, so, so dead. _So_ dead. What did I _do_ … ?"

--

words: 8867

5:50 PM

14-10-04

lokogato enterprises ltd.

--

TBC

--

These are the footnotes, or the proof that I officially have no life. I should reuse this world idea (by the way, I named the world. It's called Shinsu, but you probably won't hear this name used much because of chronic disunity amongst the realms).

1 Kynia – one of the countries in Shinsu. It's further from Astaria than Sarin, and does not border Kananth at all.

Shinsu basically looks like a seven-pointed star, with the easternmost point (points are all triangle-shaped) Kananth (capitol Astaria), the southernmost point Kynia (capitol Oracle), the one between Kynia and Kananth Sarin (capitol Zenarik). The center, which is seven-sided, is Centris (capital Sutasi).

The northernmost point and the final country to appear (two chapters on, if all goes as planned) is Hun'rye. Hun'rye is the only country to border Kyo'nis (see second chapter), and is disorganized, with no central government, and basically constant tribal warfare. There will be important characters from Hun'rye, so stay tuned for its mention!

The remaining three points are beyond Kyo'nis. Basically, nothing is known about them – yet.

3 River Ryoun - There is an extensive water system too, but I'm too lazy to explicate it. One day I might get off my lazy bum and draw the map and post it somewhere everyone can find it (I'll probably just bug Em-chan for use of your site). Yeah. Yeah!

4 Zenarik – capitol of Sarin.

2 Ronis – the currency. It works kind of like pounds or dollars, except everything is in coins – the Ronis is the basic unit of coin, and you have one Ronis coins, which are copper, and strings of twenty, forty, and fifty Ronis coppers, and then there are single and twenty silver Ronis strings, which are worth as much as fifty Ronis coppers, and then single and ten gold Ronis strings, which are worth one hundred Ronis coppers or forty Ronis silvers. The coins are shaped as circles with seven-sided holes through the centers to hold strings.

Elfish gold is worth about 1.5 times as much as normal gold, and all the Elf gold is stamped with the symbol of the Mountain of their manufacturing, a high, heavily wooded mountain for Kulodis and a less steep, rocky one for Zenith. Not much difference, really.

The Ronis sign is a large R with another line through it; actually, it looks kind of like the sign for 'Real Numbers' that my geometry teach drew last year.

If that was confusing, this is the Lovely Chart I Made in Five Minutes of Slacking Off of Math Homework:

Basic unit copper Ronis, used on price tags in most shops; the really fancy shops might use silver or gold tags, which have a fancy script _S_ or _G _to represent silver and gold Ronis respectively. This is why some shops may be referred to as 'Esgee' shops, because of their expensive wares.

_Ronis type-----------Single value in terms of single copper------------------Strings---------------------String value by single copper_

Copper ……………………………… 1 copper …………………………………………………… 20, 40, 50 ………………… 2020 coppers, 4040 coppers, 5050 coppers

Silver ………………………………… 2.5 coppers …………………………………………………… 20 ……………………………………………… 50 coppers

Gold …………………………………… 10 coppers …………………………………………………… 10 ……………………………………………… 100 coppers

Elf gold ……………………………… 15 coppers …………………………………………………… 10 ……………………………………………… 150 coppers

That is why Takuya has all those coins at the beginning of this chapter. It's basically an excuse for hip-pouches/moneybags, because I like them. :3

Gah.

Onward!

Replies to Reviews 

Yay, minna, I got reviewed still! I just hope everyone hasn't given up on this story for the late update TTTT ::sniffles::

**MilliKilo** – The submit review button may have died in a corner, or got caught in that wall-ward around the Council building. I'm sure people get caught in those … Thanks for reviewing, and I hope this is updated soon enough for you to still be reading …

**Anonymous** – I'm glad you like it! Hope you keep reading!

**blackyitramon** – Yay, you think it's cute. Takuya thinks far too much about Kouji for his own good ::evil snickers heard in background::. And now you see what Takuya has to do without Asbard as an excuse to go elsewhere. Poor guy.

**atimeforone** – Thank you so much for reviewing all four chapters! ::sparkly eyes:: and I'm glad you liked it enough to quote in your reviews XD. Chapter four was squishy? ::confused:: Kouji behaves in a much more mature fashion than Takuya for the reasons you've mentioned, and a few more regarding actual age as well. Elf-dom is cool. And the age creates friction too, but we'll see that most of it is more façade than anything else …

**Chatay** – You really think the plot is good? Thank you so so so much. I'm afraid I can't outline and put together plots nearly as well as some of the writers out there, but I do my best. ::sniffles::

**j** – Glazed eyes! The sign that I'm really entertaining someone. I'm sorry it took so long for the continuation! ::cries::

**Zoleth **– Oh, the original Chinese name! ::bows:: Arigatou gozaimasu! And thanks for the URL tip :). Glad you liked Chapter 4, hope this doesn't disappoint you after it …

aishiteru ayu – yay, continued reviewers! If possible, I think this chapter is even longer ::cries:: I'm so freaking wordy … I keep fearing that my readers will get bored with everything and just leave … But they -will- kiss! I promise! And ::looks at outlines:: looks like it might be fairly soon too. So keep reading!!! 

**Ryo-chan - **::sniff: Thank you for your continued support of this fic … I don't know what I'd do without you. I'm sorry I haven't finished with the Inu-yasha fic yet, but sadly I've been writing and in between this and homework there isn't much time. I swear you'll get it at the latest by Christmas, though. Really!

inu400 – a lot of people seem to think it's cute! I meant it to be interesting, but cute is good too! And I'm sorry I updated so late. Hopefully you haven't given up on me yet! 

**Saikisu** – I liked writing the fourth chapter. I didn't originally intend for Takuya to get all touchy, but he's sneaky like that I guess. :D And it all turned out for the best! Kouji is all nice to him now. Nicer, anyway. Which isn't really saying much but … er … yeah. Moving on!

**Dragi – **hope this chapter didn't come out too slowly! And I hope you're still reading and checking up on this ;; If I lose my first reviewer I'll end up in the pits of depression … but since school's started, I'll have more work ethic and be able to update more! Yeah! Somehow that made sense when I thought it. And thanks for emailing me about this fic. Nothing makes me feel more loved than being emailed about a fic. You inspired me! Thanks for offering to help, but I cleared my writer's problems and this is the result. Thanks again, though! ::bows::

**Earth Magician** – I do tests and quizzes too nn but mine always show that I'm a fire-type and dark-spell-caster type … I'd love to have earth as a strength though … And I really really really hope the late update hasn't turned you off the fic! I swear the updates'll be more regular from now on! I thought I'd have more time over the summer, but then life happened at me …

**takuya** – so glad you liked Chapter 4. Chapter 5, in my opinion, is slightly more important plot-wise, but Takuya's little scene was important relationship-wise.

**Splash** – Lemons in independent study? Doesn't anyone (teacher, friends) ever read over your shoulder? I was reading Cardcaptors slashy fluff one day and my friend looked over my shoulder and just went, "oh." … Her face was so funny … Is Fullmetal Alchemist good? I bought the series in China, but I haven't had much in the way of recommendations … (bought SEED too, just because I was too elated at the return to good old angst instead of, say, Gundam SD D That season scared me. I kept seeing parallels between it and Wing …)

**evilchick** – hey, thanks for thinking it's great. I didn't technically stop writing it. I just stopped updating. I continuously write this fic in my head, but I never get actual time to type it … TTTT

Everyone:

I love you all for reading and reviewing, and sincerely hope you enjoyed this chapter and will continue to read this fic. I swear I will update more regularly during the school year, if only because I have more access to my computer during the school months … And because then I work more diligently on it. I don't know why I don't in summer, but it may just be the lack of general pressure brings out the lazy in me, and all the traveling I been doing.

Whoa, I just broke into ghetto grammar. I been busy, man! lol

Also, writer's block can seriously go die in a pit.

(China was fun! Camp was just as fun! And I bought so much anime ::drools:: But I couldn't find the fourth season of Digimon! I now have the first three (UNCUT, YES!!!!) But I couldn't find IV!!! So I'll have to get my beloved Kouji the next time I get back. ::grins evilly::)

Kouichi: Because we've forgotten disclaimers, Lokogato-sama doesn't own Digimon or any of its characters, nor Duo and Heero who cameo-ed in a fit of extreme copyright infringement in this fic. Please don't sue her, she needs her 56 cents to start scrimping for the $260 worth of manga she has to buy to catch up on all her series after months of not being able to shop Waldenbooks. Thank you.

::huggles Kouichi:: ARIGATO, MINNA-SAN!

REVIEW!!! REVIEW! Please ::sniffle:: I need support to keep writing … gah. I'm so reviewer-dependent. I love you all for reviewing … TTTT REVIEW, ONEGAI---!!!

Lokogato-sama


	6. Chapter Five

I'm so so so so so so so so sorry. You wouldn't believe how terrible I feel about this incredibly, ridiculously late update. But … uh … I had horrible writer's block, or just writer's lack of work ethic. I'm sorry. I'm hoping to fix this, too – an important author note at the end of this chapter! Please do read it; it's _actually_ important.

This chapter dedicated to **Chatay-sama**for awesomely offering to depict some stuff from TMS, and continuing to ask for more of this fic. Her drawing is beautiful, but alas her webpage isn't opening until sometime in the summer, I think. But, I'll put the URL in here for sure when it does!

Um. Alas. The previous chapter suffered a lack of reviews, for which I do not blame anyone except myself … TTTT anyway … Chapter Five was what I would like to call a 'transitory' chapter, because it let the story flow from an introduction of place, people, time, and hints of plot into this, which is, TADA, the plot. Well, a subplot, but closer to the plot than before. Yes. Um. Go read.

Alas for the lack of reviewing.

But _regarde_! The chapter opens with Kouji instead of Takuya, for once. GO READ! (then REVIEW!)

tms

Chapter Six 

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"My Lord." Kouji turned tiredly to Yamato, resisting the urge to stab something and run screaming into the water.

"What is it now, Yamato?" He sighed.

"Apologies for bothering you," Yamato said, looking anything but apologetic. "But Astarian officials would like to know who will be taking your place during your absence."

Kouji groaned. "Are they all a bunch of fools?"

"Yes." Ruki said shortly from the door before vanishing, presumably to terrorize the younger recruits to the Guard or buy some sort of nourishment. Kouji's stomach growled pathetically and he envied her for a moment, the wafting scent of bread from the door reminding him of the fact that he had yet to eat breakfast, let alone lunch.

"Do you have a message for them?" Yamato pressed.

"Yes," Kouji growled. "Read the instructions I left. Every word. If they are incapable of reading, find my scribe and he will do it for them."

Yamato grinned, one of the few instances of recklessness from the young commander. "Yes, my Lord," He said cheerfully, and left, no doubt to deliver the insulting message with gusto.

Kouji looked after the retreating form, wondered idly if he should call him back and send something more civil, and decided that the damned Officers of the City could do very well with a reprimand. Always slacking and never remembering their place, or those of anyone else. Sending a Lieutenant to deliver a mere question … really. Uncouth fools.

Even that Half-Elf, Takuya, was a little better.

Kouji forced his mind back to work. For the fifth or sixth time in the past two hours.

'Lady, that Half-blood is annoying. And I still can't believe I lost that bet … if that news makes its way around the Guard I'll have no esteem from my soldiers at all. I guess I'll have to talk to him about being in public. Don't they teach courtesy in Cadnum?'

The boat rocked compromisingly and Kouji was forced to grab his desk to avoid falling. "_Damn_." He swore, righting himself and the numerous delicate objects in the room. "What in Her'lin was that?"

A random sailor poked his head into the cabin. "Sorry, m'lord!" He called. "Big load coming on board!"

Kouji grumbled. "Why do we need such a big load? Yamato had better know what he's doing – what?" This last was snapped at the unfortunate Joe, who had appeared in the room.

"Sorry, my Lord," He said apologetically, readjusting his glasses over his dark eyes. "Um. We need to know if you approved the final decision on the new resolutions on refugees from Kynia?"

Kouji groaned. "Yes, yes, give the paper to me and I'll sign it," He muttered. "Incompetents."

"Sorry, my Lord," Said Joe again.

"Not _you_, Joe." Kouji said. "Them. The Council."

"Er. Yes."

Kouji signed it: an extravagant flourish of his name and a stamp from the seal he had taken to carrying in his sleeve, since he used it almost every day, wherever he went.

"I'll, uh, bring this to the Council then." Joe suggested, and Kouji nodded and waved him off, rubbing his temples once the secretary was out of the room. He was tired, annoyed, bothered, and to top it off he hadn't eaten since last night and there was still that stupid rumour from Lornin to worry about. What he needed, Kouji thought, was to get away and hide somewhere people couldn't find him, and to hell with the Council not being manageable without him.

At this juncture, Ruki returned, munching sedately on – well, it certainly _looked_ like roasted meat skewered on a stick, but Kouji had had Ruki in his employ long enough to know that Kynian Elves, especially those from Suraci, had rather different tastes, and it was best not to ask what went into their food and simply eat it. At least it tasted good, most of the time. His bodyguard swallowed and tossed back a few strands of coppery hair.

"Your head cook sent me," She said finally. "He said to ask you if he ought to lock up the estate for the week or if he's allowed to move his family into the place and live off your stuff until you return."

Kouji almost cracked a smile. "Tell him to get his fat rear off my land and to stop sending high-ranking Elves on courier jobs."

"Sure," Said Ruki, popping the rest of whatever she was eating into her mouth. "I'll make sure to let him know that only the Elf Lord can do that."

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah, whatever." She said. "Oh, as a side note, if you need to get away, the roof of boats is always good."

Kouji blinked.

_'The roof of boats?'_

tms

Takuya peered out into the passageway.

_'Empty, good.'_ He thought as he manoeuvred himself down the hall and up the steps to where the window of the highest cabin glinted in the daylight. The upper decks of the huge boat were still more or less deserted, save a few sailors and the captain occasionally checking to make sure everything was in place.

_'Izumi'll never think to find me here,'_ He thought triumphantly. _'And she's busy now with Guard stuff, so I'll finally get time to stop and think. And possibly sleep. Yeah, sleep sounds good …'_

Carefully and as quietly as he could manage, he hauled himself up onto the very roof of the boat, a flat, white, rectangular section across which he could just lie down comfortably. "Mission accomplished," He said out loud, looking as satisfied as a cream-sated cat.

Flopping onto his back, he laid still, limbs akimbo. The sky was almost disturbingly blue, with only the whitest and fluffiest of clouds floating around the merrily shining sun. Every once in a while a bird would fly over, and Takuya started to amuse himself by seeing how many he could name by the shape of their wings and wingspan.

"Hawk, vulture, I don't know, I have no idea, really big bird, really small bird, swallow, sparrow, geese, I don't know, I don't know …"

He was about ready to doze off to the tune of his own repeated "I don't know" when a scrabbling sound at his feet drew him back to alertness. Sitting up and looking warily at the section of the edge where one could climb up using the window, he shifted his feet back slightly, partly to accommodate the climber and partly to not alert the other to his presence.

He was surprised, if not shocked, to see a familiar dark head rise up over the edge, dark blue eyes narrowed in concentration as the Elf Lord swung his lissom body over the edge of the roof and froze, staring at Takuya. Takuya stared at Kouji, who stared back. The Elf Lord's muscles were taut along his arms and legs, the slender figure crouching tensely as if ready to spring.

Takuya gulped, and managed, "Kouji."

Kouji said, "Takuya."

Takuya realized that the conversation was not off to a promising start.

They stared at each other some more, and then suddenly Kouji relaxed.

"It's just you," He said. Takuya was bemused.

"'Just' me?" He asked. "What, I'm not important enough to worry you?"

"No." The Elf Lord said shortly, and settled cross-legged onto the roof. His cloak billowed slightly with the breeze and settled around him, making him look even thinner than usual.

"Well, thank you." Takuya said dryly. "Much obliged."

Kouji made a sound that might have been a laugh but cut off abruptly halfway through. "Down!" He hissed, grabbing Takuya's arm and yanking him into a prostrate position.

"What in -" Takuya began, indignantly, but was cut off by a pale hand over his mouth.

"People are coming this way." Kouji's voice said, somewhere in the region of his ear. "Shut up and don't move."

Takuya froze as finally he, too, heard the voices and accompanying footsteps coming in his direction. As they became louder, he suddenly realized that the edge of his cloak was hanging just over the side of the boat, tanned material clearly visible against the white of the roof. _'Shit,'_ He thought, reaching for it. It was just out of his reach, and his slight bending over only served to dislodge its folds so even more fell over the side.

Kouji hissed in his ear, "What are you doing?"

"My cloak!" Takuya snapped back. "It's hanging over the edge and they can see it!"

"Der'nath," Kouji swore. "Where?"

Takuya pointed and felt the Elf Lord's head rise behind him, looking for the triangle of cloth that was so complicating things.

"I can see it," He heard the Elf say.

"What are you - " Takuya began, but was again shushed by the hand over his mouth.

"Don't move." Kouji commanded, and slowly reached over Takuya and for the cloth. His hands brushed the edge once, twice, twitching a few more folds over the edge. The voices came closer and Takuya held his breath until finally Kouji managed to grab the cloth and haul it back up. Kouji brought the cloak, fisted tightly in his hands, to Takuya's chest and said, "Hold it this time."

Takuya was about to retaliate when suddenly a brassy male voice erupted just below them, startling him into compliance.

"Where is the young Elf Lord?" Takuya felt rather than heard Kouji's breath of irritation at the adjective.

"I'm not sure, Councillor," A familiar voice replied. Takuya frowned. Who was it?

"He was supposed to be here!" The same male voice said, clearly annoyed.

"Yes, and he was mere moments ago," The other's voice said blandly. Takuya placed it suddenly – Kouji's bodyguard, Ruki. Who apparently had no idea that her liege was hiding on the roof of a boat.

"What shall we do about the act, then?" Another voice, higher and slightly nasal. A miniature commotion ensued – in all, Takuya counted perhaps four, five Councillors milling about the top level of Kouji's boat.

"Sign it, I imagine." Lieutenant Yamato's voice cut neatly through the voices. "After all, the Elf Lord _did_ agree upon the revised clauses already."

"But without his express permission we cannot continue!" Murmurs of assent followed this statement, as did a quiet groan of annoyance against Takuya's neck. With abrupt realization, Takuya noticed that the roof was really only barely large enough to hold the both of them, and as a result Kouji was practically pressed up against Takuya. Not to mention one hand was still around the Half-Elf's arm, evidently not trusting him to hold his own cloak. And Kouji was definitely breathing on Takuya's neck.

Takuya managed only by a huge feat of self-control not to blush and run madly off the roof.

_'Just hiding together, just hiding, not curled up together in a small space on a roof where no one but birds can see us, just hiding, even though it looks like _that_ it's just hiding … Yeah, hiding … If you keep thinking that, Takuya, you just might start to believe it …'_

"Well, we certainly won't find him on the roof." Ruki's voice again, crisp and just short of rude. "Shall we go below decks and try again?"

The footsteps retreated, and Takuya was about to breathe a sigh of relief when a voice spoke from by the roof again – Yamato's.

"Close call, my Lord." Takuya blinked, absorbing this. So, the Lieutenant of the Elf Guard had known they were here. Well, of course. The Elf was supposed to be trained in every form of combat from kickboxing to spear casting, surely it would be hard to miss their panicked movements from earlier.

"Thank you, Yamato." Kouji said from behind him, voice resonant and ticklish against Takuya's sensitive ears. The Lieutenant sighed.

"We know you deserve a break, my Lord," He said, sounding somewhere between exasperated and amused. "But remember that Ruki and I are not covering for your fancy High Elf ass next time."

With that, he too strode away, brisk footsteps fading away. After a long moment of anticipation, Kouji released the Half-Elf and sat up, laughing. Takuya propped himself up on his elbows, looking in wonder and confusion at the chortling Elf Lord until the absurdity of the situation finally sank in. And suddenly he, Takuya, a minstrel that hadn't known his own species until a mere week ago, and Kouji, an Elf Lord that could probably trace his bloodline back fifteen generations, were laughing raucously on the roof of a boat because they had barely escaped being caught by a group of Councillors that were obviously completely lost without their leader.

It was all terribly bizarre, and Takuya loved it because they were laughing. Together.

_'Weird,'_ He thought fervently, _'But definitely fun.'_

"So," Kouji managed after several minutes of hilarity. "What brings you to this neck of the woods?"

"I was – making a strategic retreat from certain personages that happened to be pestering me until I thought I would go mad." Takuya replied, straight-faced. Kouji's mouth quirked again.

"Indeed." He said. "What a coincidence. I happen to be here for much the same reason."

"How unusual," Takuya said, maintaining the mock formality. "How do you like this lovely upper level vantage point then, my Lord? It is the highest platform of this fine structure, and nearly inaccessible by those that are incapable of delicate balance and the skills required to step upon a windowsill."

"It is very lovely,' Kouji said. "I am well-repaid for my efforts in accessing this point."

"Indeed," Said Takuya, running out of grandiose phrases to use and falling back on repeating Kouji's words. The Elf Lord lay down again, folding his hands behind his head. A sigh of contentment emanated from his lips before he spoke again, a faint pleased smile echoing around his expression.

"It _is_ nice to be up here, though." He said contemplatively. "It's not every day I get to stop and admire this land we live in."

"Yeah." Takuya agreed, lying down beside the Elf Lord and staring at the clouds. A solitary bird circled above them, long neck straight despite being buffeted by the high-altitude winds.

"A cormorant," Kouji said in a tone suggesting surprise.

"A what?" Takuya asked blankly.

"A cormorant," Kouji explained. "They're fishing birds. They're actually used very commonly among the fishermen in Hun'rye, but they don't usually come to the eastern borders. The waters here in Kananth and Sarin are far too cold to accommodate the birds."

"So it's a messenger bird," Takuya joked.

"Actually, it might be." Kouji said seriously. "Some cultures have historically used cormorants to carry messages because of the fact that they can follow waterways with uncanny accuracy. Some rulers have actually been known to use cormorants as spies."

"Spies? How?" Takuya asked, genuinely confused. Kouji went on to explain in detail the birds and how their ability to carry all manner of things enabled them to be used as 'second eyes' for commanders, which led to Takuya's query as to whether the Elf Lord himself had actually used cormorants for spying purposes. Kouji laughed.

"No," Kouji said. "I use Humans or Elves as spies. I have no skill with animals."

"But you're an Elf!" Takuya said in some surprise.

"That's just a generalization." Kouji said dryly. "Elves have some rapport with nature in general because we have something that binds us to it and usually are on reasonably good terms with wildlife, but animals just don't like me for some reason."

"Maybe you're just dislikeable." Takuya joked, but Kouji's expression looked pained for a second and Takuya immediately regretted it. "I was joking. Look, the bird's leaving."

"Yes." The Elf said softly, making no effort to continue the discussion. They lay in an awkward silence for a few minutes, during which Takuya fidgeted with all the loose bits of clothing he had, which encompassed quite a number of things. Finally, in an attempt to make conversation, he turned to the time-honoured topic: weather.

"The sky's really blue, isn't it?" Surprisingly, Kouji responded.

"It is." Encouraged, Takuya continued with the first thing that came to mind.

"That cloud over there looks like an elephant," He said, pointing. It wasn't until the words left his mouth that he realized how entirely stupid he sounded and clamped his mouth shut._ 'Clouds! I'm so incredibly stupid!'_

"I think it looks more like a camel."

Takuya gaped.

"Doesn't it?" Kouji turned to him seriously. "See, the legs are too thin for it to be an elephant."

"But the face is way too long to be a camel."

"It has two humps!"

"And a trunk!"

They stared at each other for several seconds, and then Kouji smirked. "It's a camelphant."

"And that one's a turtledog," Takuya pointed. Kouji's elegant finger indicated another.

"A dograbbit."

They continued in this vein for quite some time, until the sun had inched across three-quarters of the sky and the warmth of the day had begun to retreat. Takuya sighed blissfully, wrapping his errant cloak about himself for warmth. And then, entirely unexpectedly, Kouji's stomach growled.

"Sorry." The Elf said hastily, and if it hadn't been for the dimming light Takuya would have sworn the Elf Lord was blushing. "I haven't eaten in a while."

"Actually, neither have I," Takuya said. "I skipped lunch because I was afraid of meeting Izumi in the kitchens."

Kouji laughed. "I haven't eaten at all today, because I simply haven't had time to stop."

Takuya blinked. "Aren't you hungry?"

As if on cue, Kouji's stomach growled again. "That would be what that noise is about, Takuya," Kouji replied dryly. Takuya contemplated this tidbit of information for a moment, and suddenly his face broke out into a wide grin.

_'So finally I can put these skills to use!'_ He cheered mentally. Out loud, he asked, "What do you want to eat?"

Kouji sounded confused, but answered anyway. "Actually, I smelled bread this afternoon when I was down in my cabin. Fresh bread. I haven't had that in a terribly long time, and for some reason that's the first thing I can think of. Why? What are you doing? Hey! Someone will see you!"

Takuya, evidently paying no attention whatsoever, was climbing down the window onto the deck below. "One order of fresh bread, coming right up!" He said cheerfully, giving a slight jump and vanishing over the edge. Kouji shot up in alarm, leaning over the side of the wall and breathing only when he realized that Takuya had landed safely on the deck and not over the side of the boat.

"What are you trying to do?" He demanded angrily, his annoyance at his own worry making the words rather harsher than intended. Sadly, Takuya was unfazed.

"You'll see!" were his last words as he ran down the stairs.

"No, you idiot! We're about to leave! Come back!" Kouji called down, to no avail. He was about to raise his voice again when he realized that anyone could hear him, and pulled his head back over the edge, fuming quietly.

_'What is that fool trying to do?' _He groused mentally. _'He could get caught, stealing food from the kitchens when it isn't mealtime. Or if he's buying something, he could miss the boat and get stranded in Astaria! What would he do then? What would _I_ do then? Suffer Kulodis' wrath when they realize I neglected to bring the Firestarter to them? What is he doing, anyway? If the cooks catch him they'll probably beat him within an inch of his life …'_

The boat began to rock ominously, signifying the clumsy untying of knots and shove-off by the sailors. Astarian sailors were known for their ineptness anywhere near land, and similarly for their skill with all things involving currents and navigation of the countless winding and crossing waterways that formed what was collectively known as the Ryoun Rivers. The cormorant returned, circling lazily before flying off again, and the sun sank into redness.

Kouji had just begun to contemplate going after the intrepid Half-Elf when a step under the ledge startled him into alertness. Sitting up, he tensed, ready to disembowel the mystery person if he should try and access the roof, when suddenly a long brown bag flew up and landed squarely in front of him, followed by a pair of hands and finally a grinning face sparkling with excitement.

"Takuya!" Kouji hissed.

"Hey, Kouji, give me a hand." Takuya said. "I can't quite see the bar in this light."

Kouji rolled his eyes and grabbed the minstrel's hands, getting only a moment to note the lute-string calluses before Takuya hauled himself onto the roof and pulled his hands back.

"Thanks," Takuya said awkwardly, blushing.

"My pleasure," Kouji said just as uneasily. A silence followed, then Kouji broke it with, "So, what did you run off so happily to get?"

"Oh!" Takuya's face lit up. "Right, you said you wanted bread, right?"

"Possibly," Kouji said warily. "Why? You didn't – you did, didn't you?"

"And I got bread!" Takuya affirmed, pulling out from the bag a long golden loaf, still steaming and obviously fresh from the ovens.

"Takuya!" Kouji hissed. "The cooks'll kill you if they find out you stole from them!"

Takuya shrugged innocently and tore off a piece of hot fluffy bread, offering it to Kouji. "They won't if they don't know."

"I could tell them," Kouji pointed out, even as he reached hungrily for the piece, body warming at the mere sight of nourishment.

"But you won't, right?" Takuya asked. "Will you?" He added, suddenly uncertain.

"Of course not." Kouji said shortly around an undignified mouthful of food. "Now get to tearing that thing apart, Half-Elf."

Takuya smirked and complied.

"So," Takuya said after a while. "Do you have any clue what the Elf Mountain wants us for?"

"No." Kouji said shortly. "Kulodis does things for reasons usually only the highest up on the chain know, and I'm about one step below the lowest of the highest."

Takuya deciphered this to mean, 'I have no idea.'

"I thought the Elf Lords of the capital cities were relatively important on the Elf Mountains, since they're pretty much the first line of communication between Elves and Humans." Takuya said curiously. "And I hear that the Astarian Elf bloodline is pretty pure."

"One of the purest." Kouji said dismissively. "I can probably trace my lineage back thirteen or so generations, and those are Elven generations."

"Pure bloodlines simply mean a lot of inbreeding." Takuya pointed out.

"It's different with Elves." Kouji said.

"Oh." Said Takuya.

"But not much. What about you?" Kouji asked. "How much of your heritage do you know about?"

"Nothing." Takuya said. "I was adopted, remember?"

"Oh. Right." Kouji frowned and popped the last piece of bread into his mouth. After some contemplative chewing, he commenced speaking again. "You know, you _are_ quite the Firestarter, Takuya. That little blaze back in the forest could have done some serious damage if it hadn't been contained. The trouble is that I don't have any of your bloodline to try and pinpoint where it's focusing from and how to control and direct it, and if you're from Sutasi it's likely we'll never find the records … "

Takuya blinked. Firestarter. _'Right, I was going to ask about that …'_

"What _is _a Firestarter?"

Kouji stared at him. "No one's told you what a Firestarter is?"

Takuya flushed for some reason. "Izumi tried, when we were still coming to Astaria, but I fell asleep."

"Hmph." Kouji said, sounding amused. "Academic lectures not for you, minstrel?"

"Well, my profession lies in the arts." Takuya said defensively, and Kouji laughed before explaining.

"A true Firestarter is a very rare commodity. The gift of fire is not that rare in itself, but only rarely do we ever hear of Firestarters capable of true firestorms – like yours back there. Because the ability to summon fire grows as the Firestarter himself grows, usually the gift isn't even manifest until at earliest seventeen or eighteen, but yours is incredibly strong already at sixteen."

"So I'm a super-power." Takuya said smugly.

"Well, a raw one at best." Kouji said, and Takuya could hear the smirk in his voice. "I mean, if you don't get training, all it'll ever be good for is life-or-death situations, like the one you faced in the attack. If you just go back home to Centris without doing anything for your talent, it'll eventually just die out altogether."

"Oh," Takuya said, sounding slightly more subdued.

"I imagine that that is probably the closest reason to why Kulodis summoned us." Kouji said. "Or you, anyway – I still don't know what I've been called for. Even if you _are_ a Firestarter, that doesn't mean you need me as part of your entourage."

"Hmm," Takuya said, staring up at the night sky. The stars were twinkling into being, and the sounds of the boat below – some of which sounded suspiciously like "_Where's the Elf Lord!_" – contributed to a dreamy mood.

Kouji relaxed beside him. Takuya lifted an arm to point out a group of four stars arranged in a cross. "Those are the Northern Radiants," He said. "See? The brightest star points east, the bluish one points north, and the reddish one points south. The dimmest one – the one that looks obscured by something – that one points west."

"Really?" Kouji said, sounding surprised. After a moment, he said, "You're right."

"Of course." Takuya said. "Haven't you ever heard of the legend of the Four Gods of the Sky?"

"No." Kouji said. "When I studied that group of stars, I learned that the white one was going to last the longest, the blue one the next longest, the red one was already dying, and the dim one is practically dead. All scientific explanations and such."

"Oh." Takuya said. "I should tell you the story of the Four Gods sometime. It's actually common folklore."

"I didn't hear much 'common folklore' as a child," Kouji said dryly. "Not everyone's a minstrel."

"Oh. Yeah."

"But do tell me," Kouji said, a smile sounding in his voice. "Sometime, when we're stuck somewhere and we've gotten tired of insulting each other?"

"Okay." Takuya said, grinning widely.

A long silence followed, during which Kouji was so silent and his breathing so soft that Takuya fooled himself into believing the Elf Lord was asleep. Just as he was about to lean over and check, Kouji spoke.

"Did you ever dream about the stars as a child?" He asked softly.

Takuya blinked, surprised by the choice of subject matter. "Well, yeah." He said matter-of-factly. "Doesn't everyone?"

"Hmm, no." Kouji said, sounding slightly muffled. It was only when Takuya looked over that he realized it was because the Elf had drawn his cloak over his throat and face to keep out the night wind. "Tell me about yours."

Takuya blinked again, embarrassed this time. "Um. They're hardly spectacular."

"It doesn't matter," Kouji said.

"Um, well …" Takuya racked his brain for memories. "I remember, one time, I had this really weird dream. It was one of those weird dreams where you know you're dreaming but you believe it anyway. I think I was walking along this forest road, when suddenly a person in a cloak showed up in front of me and told me to follow him. I thought, well, it's a dream, why not? So I did, and he led me along to this pond. He told me to look in, and I did, and I saw all this fire in the water, and I think I said, 'The pond's burning up!'"

Kouji laughed. "Burning water, Takuya?"

"Yes, burning water. I'm telling the story, so shut up."

"Of course, my apologies."

"Anyway, I was staring at this burning water when the guy behind me went, 'that's you'. I stared at him and of course thought he was crazy, but he said 'go on, touch it' so I did. It was so hot I thought I was melting, and I think I was screaming in agony, and suddenly the guy from behind me said, 'this is you' and I said 'I don't want to be this'."

"What a charming story, Takuya. Are you sure this wasn't a nightmare?"

"Well, it wasn't because of what happened next. Stop interrupting me! So anyway, I said that I didn't want to be that, and the guy behind me started laughing."

"Oh, dear."

"Kouji, I'm going to hurt you if you keep talking."

"I'm so afraid."

"Do you want to hear the story or not?"

"Yes, of course, keep going."

"Anyway, the guy said, 'find light' and I was like, 'are you insane?' But all he said was 'find light', so I figured that that was what I should do. At this point I suddenly saw this little pinpoint of light, like a star, and for some reason I thought that I had to grab it, so I did."

"And?"

"And all the fire melted away so that even thought I was in the middle of all these flames, I wasn't burning at all. Actually, I felt calm and cool, kind of tranquil – like a lake of water. I remember watching my dream-self holding the hand of this figure of light, and going, 'turn around, you idiot!' But my dream-self wouldn't turn around, and I never saw the face of that light person. We were standing there for what seemed like eons, and the flames burned into blackness and we were surround by stars everywhere, and all I saw was the finger of the light person pointing this one way, west."

"Hmm."

"Then I woke up."

"Sounds positively prophetic.'

"I don't know, maybe it is. This is one of my hopes – in my travels, I'll find the person most like that light person, and I'll hold onto them and never, ever let go."

"Very romantic," Kouji laughed.

Takuya blushed madly. "So what?" He asked defensively. "What about you? Surely your dreams weren't much clearer?"

Kouji froze. Takuya blinked, concerned.

"Hey, what is it?" He asked. "Was it something I said?"

Kouji shook his head until he realized Takuya couldn't see it in the darkness. "No. It's nothing."

Despite the fact that his worry was not in the least assuaged, Takuya shrugged it off, persisting in his question: "Well, what was it?"

Kouji was silent for a long while, then spoke, the brief, clipped syllables sounding much more like the usual, commanding Lord Kouji than the laughing Kouji of moments earlier.

"The last time I dreamed about stars was when my family was in Sutasi for a Council meeting. I dreamt that the stars from the Western Sky came down and burnt the city to a cinder, and that one star grabbed my mother and engulfed her in flames. The next day was the Sack of Sutasi." Kouji said shortly.

"Oh." Takuya said, mortified. "I'm sorry."

"It's nothing," The Elf Lord said. A moment later, he spoke again. "I'm going to go down and do my duties for the night."

"What?" Takuya said, startled.

"I take my leave," Kouji said coldly, and left.

tms

Takuya was bored. Very, very bored. Since the little incident on the roof of the boat, he had barely seen Kouji, and as a result his only source of amusement or distraction had been conversation with Izumi. And Izumi, even, was increasingly occupied with Guard duties, and had more than once brushed him off with a semi-apologetic, mostly annoyed, "I'm busy, Takuya."

"It's been almost a week," He groaned, rolling over in his bed. The boat gave a slightly disconcerting rock, but Takuya had long grown used to it. He reached out and deftly caught a glass before it hit the floor, and with the other hand held steady a delicate lute he had been fiddling with moments earlier.

"Argh." He said coherently.

"Indeed," Said an unexpected voice from the door of his room, and Takuya's head snapped up to see the Elf Lord, looking slightly disconcerted, standing in the doorway – or, more accurately, holding onto the edge of the doorframe as though he had very nearly fallen over. Which, considering the movement of the boat, he likely had.

"Kouji!" Takuya said, uncertain as to whether to be pleasantly surprised or vaguely irritated at the intrusion.

"Takuya," Kouji nodded, letting go of the doorframe only when it was certain the boat had stopped moving and stepping gingerly over to where Takuya lay, still clutching the lute and glass. "I take it you have amused yourself over the past week?"

"Hardly." Takuya groused, setting the items back into their proper places and sitting up to get a better look at the Elf Lord. No, his eyes weren't deceiving him – Kouji _did_ look more stressed out than usual. "How're you doing?"

Kouji looked slightly surprised at the show of concern, albeit mildly. "I'm alright, just a little irritated," He conceded. "We've been experiencing considerable difficulties in navigation for the past day, which although only to be expected is nonetheless always a cause for concern."

"Expected?" Takuya inquired.

"We're nearing Kulodis," Kouji said by way of explanation. "Which reminds me. I came to tell you that we'll be at the Elf Mountain hopefully within the next day, and you need to prepare."

"For what?" Takuya asked, surprised. "What're we doing?"

"Well, firstly, you need to have presentable clothes." Kouji said wryly, tugging gently on the ragged ends of Takuya's cloak. "For which you will need to follow me." With that, the Elf stood and began to walk out of the room, not even pausing by the doorway to wait. A slightly bemused Takuya bounded after him.

Once Takuya had caught up to him, Kouji began speaking again. "Although Kulodis has been at best vague about the summons, my guess is that they're taking you for a meeting with the old bastard and then training you for a while. For the former, you'll need the fancy clothes and some sort of crash course in Elven manners, and for the latter, a good many weapons, clothing, and possibly permission procured from your guardian, although since you're almost legal age for estrangement you should be fine."

"The old bastard?" Takuya queried, amused.

"Gennai." Kouji said, his tone of voice clearly indicating _his_ opinion of the one in question.

"Oh." Takuya said, not really enlightened. "What if your guess is wrong?"

Kouji shrugged. "Then I glower at the lower Elves until I cow them into fetching whatever else we might need."

"… I see."

"Indeed."

"And here we are."

"Yes, indeed."

Takuya was whisked behind a curtain, where he was immediately surrounded with a mass of fine robes, the majority of which appeared to be some shade of red. Bemused, he picked one up, found far too many buttons for his liking, and stared blankly at it until Kouji began to speak again.

"Just try them all on," The Elf Lord said. "Find one that sits well and you like. They probably won't fit you perfectly, as we've had to borrow them from some of the Guard, but they should be close."

"I see."

"While you're playing dress-up, I'll keep talking."

"Oh."

"After you've found clothes that fit you, what's going to happen is this: I'm going to take you to some place without too many people who can interfere and give you a basic run-through on exactly what kind of training you've landed yourself in. You sign a waiver. I keep the waiver. I'm going to give you some pre-training and that's going to take a rather long time, so you'll probably want to take something edible along with you. I don't actually know how long I have to spend with you, because they keep having to call me fore to help navigate, but we should have a good hour or so."

Takuya yanked himself out of a robe that had been rather too tight and caught his breath.

"Do I see you tomorrow?" He asked.

"Not before we land," The Elf Lord replied curtly. "I have to help in the landing process."

"And I'm going to do what?"

"I'll send someone along. Probably Izumi – she's a friend of yours, no?"

"Yeah, sort of."

"We'll be landing hopefully just before noon tomorrow. Izumi will come get you, and then we will all disembark, and what happens next is very much an uncontrollable variable."

"A whatnow?"

"Kulodis has ridiculous safeguards," Kouji explained. "They change often, and it's annoying to keep track of. The way they carry on, one would think Zenith was about to send armed troops from its sparsely populated, rocky caves to invade."

"_Is _Zenith going to send armed troops from its sparsely populated, rocky caves to invade?"

"They're too smart to do that." Kouji said shortly. "They'd never win. We outnumber them in population and the old bastard is about twice the age of their Eldest. At the moment, the power balance definitely falls in favour of Kulodis."

"I see."

"Does that fit you?"

"Sort of."

"Close enough. Change back and come on out, now. We have to train."

"For what?" Takuya finally asked, sliding his arms into the sleeves of his shirt.

"You're a Firestarter," Kouji said, as if that explained everything.

"I'm a Firestarter," Takuya muttered. "Yeah, yeah, I know, everyone's been telling me. No one'll tell me what I'm supposed to do with it, though."

"Really?" Kouji said, sounding surprised. "Well, we have to start somewhere, I suppose."

"No, _really _…" Takuya grumbled, trying to coax his hair back into its usual shape and finally giving up. Following Kouji onto the deck, he settled for flattening it as much as he could with the hand that wasn't trying to button his collar. "Where are we going?"

"Roof," Kouji said succinctly, and Takuya blinked in surprise.

"The roof …" Realization dawned. "There?"

"Yes, there," Kouji said, hoisting himself up onto the mentioned area. "Come on. We won't be interrupted, which is crucial."

"Oh. Oh, good." Takuya pulled his irritated body up after the Elf Lord with considerably less grace. "I'm stuck here for Lady knows how long with a positively laconic Elf Lord who's going to teach me about my apparent pyromania. Joy. I couldn't have asked for more. Asbard, you bastard of a guardian, why did you do this to me?"

"Because you're an extremely valuable weapon, and if people find you now, you can be turned to any purpose." Kouji said shortly. "Thus, it is in your – ah, who am I kidding? - _our _best interests to keep you and train you for us."

"I'm a what?" Said Takuya for what seemed like the millionth time in less than a week.

"Firestarter," Kouji began, and held his hands out. "Take my hands."

"What?" Takuya sputtered, flushing. "Why?"

"Images are easier to understand than words, Takuya," Kouji said, pronouncing his name in the undetectable yet clear Kulodis accent, consonants unusually pronounced. Takuya shivered. "I can transfer images into your mind if we have contact. And I am _not_ in the mood to draw pretty pictures with a stick and parchment just so you can play cooties."

"I'm not!" Takuya said defensively, grabbing Kouji's hands rather too tightly to emphasize his words. "It's just – weird, is all."

"_Ka'I_," Kouji said, and all of a sudden the boat's roof and the water disappeared, and the world was plunged into darkness.

_Where am I?_ Takuya blinked hard, and saw, for a moment, a glimpse of the white of the boat's roof. Kouji's voice startled him back into the black, emanating not from just in front of him but from _inside_ him – as if the Elf Lord was inside his mind.

_Pay attention,_ Kouji said. Or rather, he seemed to emanate – as if Takuya was receiving pure feelings and thoughts from the Elf. _If you lose concentration after this point you could be lost in my mind._

Okay, so maybe Takuya was the one in Kouji's mind.

_Lost?_

_It's my mind,_ Kouji emitted in what felt suspiciously like an exasperated tone. _You don't belong here, and it's never a good thing to go unguided into any other person's mind._

_I see,_ said Takuya. _So, where're we going?_

In response, Takuya suddenly felt Kouji's hands again, this time yanking him insistently forward.

_Just keep up with me,_ Kouji said, and the world burst into colour.

Or flame.

_Gah!_ Takuya yelped, jumping several feet and almost crushing Kouji's hands. _Warn me if you're going to do things like that!_

_Shut up_, Kouji said firmly. _And pay attention_.

tms

words: 6760

paragraphs: 279

sentences: 663

tms

I have just realized that, for some reason, I have stuck three of the most obstinate Digidestined into one group: Yamato, Ruki, and Kouji. Between the three of them, sarcasm will melt the air and the sheer vitriol will be enough to bring any offender to their knees … what a dangerous group. n.n;;

Anyway:

**Important A/N:**

TMS is killing me. In terms of inspiration, I do know where the story's going. But I can't bring myself to actually write it unless I have an extremely detailed outline. I ended up cutting this chapter off earlier than I planned because A) I don't have an outline to force me to write it and B) it's really ridiculously late. I'm sorry.

So I'm going to see if I can try something new: co-authorship. Anyone who's checked my author bio will know that I have had this up for a bit, and I've had two responses, although I'm not sure that they're interested anymore due to my terribly late responses/updates.

Basically, co-authorship will involve a lot of outlining and beating out of plot. I have a very skeletal outline of the plot, and I can type this into a chapter-by-chapter form, but it will be up to the co-author to work out fine details and put together the plot so it runs smoothly and sensibly. Then I will take the detailed outline and write the chapter.

As you can probably see, this will involve a lot of outlining on the part of my co-author, and also a lot of fine-detail plot stuff. So, I'm looking for someone with incredible patience and/or beta-type skills, and someone who is good with putting a plot together in a cohesive fashion.

I'm desperate! I love TMS with all of my heart, I really do, but there's no way I can maintain a regular update schedule the way my life runs right now. I'm terribly sorry, again. Please, please, please, _someone_ respond to my cry for help.

Email me at or contact me at my livejournal: or leave your username and/or email/contact information in a review of this chapter. I will try to contact you as soon as possible (this may be anywhere from the next day to the next week – I'm not online very often.)

If I don't get any offers of help, I'll keep struggling along, but TMS will have to very sadly go into "Updated Irregular" mode. I'm sorry, but I simple don't have the urge or push to write it.

Thanks, everyone, so very, very much. And again, I'm sorry. So sorry.

**Replies to Reviews:**

**Dreamer** – Well, now you know :) And the journey was the simple part …

**Sailor Enyon** – I'm glad you did find it! Thank you. I'll keep writing to the best of my ability.

**Chatay** – I finally updated! Reviews cheer me on, as do people who actually bother to go places (e.g. lj, email) to talk to me or ask me questions. I lose hope every once in a while and sink into fic-writing depths of depression … But I'm glad you liked the chapter. It seems most of my other readers didn't like it; at any rate they didn't review it … not that I'm really affected by it or anything … (as if! I'm just trying to appear macho …) Thank you so much for emailing me and stuff. It makes me happy.

**takuya**** –** I'm sorry you had to wait, for both chapter 5 and 6. I really truly am. :( If I had my way everyone'd be able to read the story straight from my mind – kinda like continuous beaming of images and words. But then the words'd be jumbly and probably ungrammatical …) well, anyway, sorry for the wait. Thanks for reviewing all this time::hearts:

**Kenzy****-Chan** – Thanks for reading! I'm super happy you like it XDDDD ß my super happy face appears to have four mouths, O.o. And huzza, an uber glomp! YAY! Please keep reading, since I've done more. And say hi and thanks to Kouichi too. You're awesome!

**Natasha AKA: Tash** – Can I just go by 'Tash', then? Lol, if you don't like it I won't do it :) I think we all think Kouji and Takuya are meant for each other. And they ARE kawaii. Of course they get together! I don't know that I could write a story where they _don't_ … :shifty eyes: loko is a helpless Takouji fangirl, and she speaks of herself in third person.

**Dragi** – Thank you so much for your continued reading of this story. You're soooo awesome to have reviewed every chapter from chapter one! Huzza for my most constant reviewer! And I cannot thank you enough for expressing concern on this story over email. It is immeasurable how encouraged I was after realizing that people really DO want this continued. THANK YOU::hearts:

**Ryo-chan **– I have only apologies to offer on how slow everything is going. I mean, there's TMS going at a snail's pace, and I'm still supposed to be editing your Inu-Yasha fic. I've had it for so long it's ridiculous … I'm so incredibly sorry. If you still want the edits at all, I'll be happy to email what I've got so far to you, but I really don't think I can continue … I'm so sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.

**aishiteru-ayu** – I've been through some KouKou too. I guess every true IV-er has to indulge at least once. But I'm glad you still enjoy this! Please keep reading! (There actually are brother-complexes in the future. Oh dear.)

Again: thanks to everyone who's read and reviewed this so far.

More reviews are more than welcome; they're begged for! Even if they're flames or beatings with sticks to make me write on my own bloody power!

Arigato gozaimasu –

lokogato enterprises inc.

1:19 PM

01-05-05


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